The pressing issue of enslavement of African-American individuals had been apparent in the United States for a long time. In fact, black people were forced to do different types of work for miserable payments, which did not allow them to buy their freedom eventually. Overall, in the pre-Civil War period in the U.S., African Americans were treated inhumanely, along with it being assumed that women had suffered more so compared to men.
To begin with, the experience of slavery was devastating to both women and men of African-American background because they suffered for a long time, no matter of their sex. The slaves’ gender did not particularly decide whether they would be torn from their family or homeland, nor did it define the type of labor they would be forced to do (Berry and Gross). Unfortunately, African Americans suffered from being separated from families and loved ones, which was likely to lead to mental disorders as a result of their enslavement. In addition, they endured not only mental challenges but physical violations that were so often performed on their bodies (Berry and Gross). Most slaves were beaten without mercy, and women often suffered from sexual assaults from the men who treated them as their property (Berry and Gross). Yet African-American males did not escape this issue even though it was not that common, with some sexual intercourse being forced on them from time to time by their masters.
However, with the foundation of enslavement in the land of the United States, men were primarily valued more than women, which resulted in them being treated not as maliciously as females. Furthermore, it led to drastic differences in the prices of female and male slaves, making African-American women readily available to be purchased by anyone who had the means to do so. Unfortunately, women were not pitied as to the amount of labor they were forced to do (Berry and Gross). On the contrary, the masters chose them for unmanly work and expected the completion of enormous workloads in short periods of time (Berry and Gross). In some territories, however, the low numbers of slaves did not allow for this option, with women being forced to do the same work as the men.
Furthermore, the foundation of enslavement had adverse effects on the womanhood of African women. In Africa, a black female’s primary socially accepted role was to be a mother and devote time to raising one’s children (Berry and Gross). Yet this concept was entirely debased in slavery, with motherhood losing its meaning whatsoever (Berry and Gross; Prather et al.). To elaborate, females were not viewed as people but simply as the means to do unmanly work and bear children every two years (Berry and Gross; Prather et al.). Obviously, the psychological impact on the women because of the childbearing was adverse, considering that they left their children to be raised by others and, soon after the birth, were expected to go back to work (Prather et al.). As a result, it made women with proven fertility more valuable and more likely to be enslaved and taken from their families. In other words, black females were recognized as bodies that could birth children and not real people who had feelings (Berry and Gross; Prather et al.). Not to mention that the notion of femininity became inexistent (apart from childbearing), considering that women were pressured into doing the same work as black men.
That is why the weak position of black women not only in the slavery market but in general resulted in them being in increased danger on a daily basis. As already stated, black men were primarily more valued for their abilities and capacities, already making women more worthless as a result. Furthermore, easy accessibility to purchasing black female slaves made the issue even more pressing due to the growing numbers of females being torn from their families (Berry and Gross). To be more exact, slave masters could purchase other black female slaves in case they needed to (Prather et al.). For instance, if enslaved African-American women died because of exhaustion and other health issues or were no more capable of doing the work, they could be easily replaced (Berry and Gross; Prather et al.). It is fair to assume that women’s physical and mental limits were tested during their enslavement by seeing how far they would go and how much violence towards them they could endure.
What is more, the harsh expectations concerning their womanhood put women in even greater danger, considering that females were forced to birth multiple children in short periods of time. It is impossible to estimate whether their responsibilities were minimized when they were pregnant or whether they were treated better to ensure that the health of the children in their wombs would not be impacted. Nonetheless, the exhaustion of female bodies as a result of hard labor and childbearing not only put their health in danger but their lives as well.
Works Cited
Berry, Daina Ramey, and Kali Nicole Gross. A Black Women’s History of the United States. Illustrated, Beacon Press, 2020.
Prather, Cynthia, et al. “Racism, African American Women, and Their Sexual and Reproductive Health: A Review of Historical and Contemporary Evidence and Implications for Health Equity.” Health Equity, vol. 2, no. 1, Mary Ann Liebert Inc, Sept. 2018, pp. 249–59.