If slavery was so terrible...?
604253
Because slavery isn't terrible they just get all itchy about the fact that there not worth as much as we are.LOL.
185162
A lot of people already said this, but I'm going to chime in with my two cents too.  \n\nNo.  People who didn't do anything wrong should not be forced to pay reparations to people who never had anything wrong done to them.  \n\nFurther, if it was 1870, and former slaves and slaveholders existed then MAYBE you could make a case for having the slaveholders make reparations for the slaves (probably not because what they were doing was, while morally wrong, perfectly legal).  But as it stands right now, all former slaves are dead.  All former slaveholders are dead.  It's moot.
690057
They weren't given a choice.  They were forced into slavery.
888751
slavery still exists. its just in a different form. there are slaves here in america and in other parts of the world. i am surprised u never heard of it. there are woman who come into this country with a promised job as a "maid" and when they get over here their employer takes their passports and keeps their wages. which is slavery.
27333
I can not answer the question of factory slaves, but I did a research paper while in college on the subject of slave life in the south (field slave).  I was suprised to learn that it wasn't as bad as I had thought.  (NOTE:  I am NOT saying that it wasn't bad, just not as bad as I thought.)\n\nI would recommend a book called "Twelve Years a Slave" by Solomon Northup (Available from Amazon.com for less than $10.00).  This was, for me, a very easy read on the subject and I believe it to be a true account of his 12 years in slavery.\n\nWhile most people tend to think of the huge cotton plantations with the evil slave owner with hundreds of slaves, many of the slave owners owned less than 10 and worked in the fields along with them.\n\nThe rampant beatings (that go along with the huge plantation version) probably weren't as common as I thought.  You depended on this person for your livelyhood - why would you beat them to death?  I am sure that there were some beatings for escape attempts, disrespect and the like.\n\nI was also suprised to learn that there were instances (by some slave owners) to allow their slaves to make furniture, quilts and other things for other people.  Any money earned could be kept by the slave in order to buy their freedom.  (I am not sure how wide spread this practice was, but it is mentioned in the book I referenced and was also mentioned at a museum gallery I attended a couple of years ago).  Some were even allowed to go to "parties" to work - also getting paid for this.\n\nI am sure I will catch some flack from some people, so let me clarify:  I DO NOT condone slavery, I do not support slavery (and lets face it, it is still around in the world today), and I think that it was one of the darkest periods in our countrys history.  I think it was a product of its time in the US and for those who want to condemn the US for participating think of this:  The US couldn't have had slavery of the African people, if it weren't for the people of Africa selling their own people into bondage.\n\nO.K.  Let the flack come in.
238427
Okay, To let it be known, all things that happened in th past is brought up for a reason, to let us know what the deal was. If u havent noticed, history repeats itself in some way. Black slavery was the harshest outta all slaverys as most people have said. Yet, also, alot of other nationalities have been enslaved as well. Its just that ours were the worst. Yer bro-n-law is wrong by the way. U mite wanna educate him, and show him what the deal is, that it wasnt just blacks, it was everyone. Also, it really doent need to be brought up, unless its n a history class. \n\nHave yall seen the Dave Chappelle show, when he did the thing on Slavery Compensation. (i thought that was pretty funny) yet, if thats the case, shouldnt everyone else that was enslaved as well get paid too?? It wouldnt be fair. Ill honestly say that none of us (blacks) deserve to get paid. Paying us in money, for sumthin that has traumatized possibly the whole world is actually priceless. There isnt enuff money in the world to say, "oh its aight"\n\nFinal answers:\nWhy people complain?? Because it still hurts and its the most recent (sort of) Yer bro-n-law is wrong. Most races have went thru some type of slavey in some point of time.\n\nhope i helped
1022074
The Bible is true and anyone who says it's fiction needs to shut up. And slavery sucks black people have been slaves since 1600 and still we are not treated like fair. Some white people treat us blacks great but most are racists, rednecks, or hillbilles. Now slavery isn't great at all. When blacks were slaves the white people depended on them because they did all the work well they did everything. Now why don't people get a maid or a waiter they aren't slaves and they can quit at anytime.
696947
Slavery is in the past, we can't change the past but the futre is a like playdough. We can build it better.
195010
See, I am in Third Grade and I love writing about the history of people that have helped me and my family see my dad was born into slavery and he also escaped to the North with Harriet Tubman. Sorry to get off track but here is a part of my report from my studies I learned that Harriet Tubman first escaped to the north by her self then she realized that if she only helped herself she would be selfish and so she made nineteen trips to the south and helped over three hundred people escape from slavery. Again sorry for getting off track but she was against slavery because she said that we should not be judged by the color of our skin and that it is very unfair for white people to own black people.My dad got some slave laws and here they are. \n\nSlave Laws\n1. No one was allowed to teach slaves how to read or write nor were they to be given books or pamphlets.\n\n2. Slaves were not allowed to buy or consume liquor without the written consent of their masters.\n\n3. Slave owners were required to feed and clothe their slaves and take care of their sick and elderly slaves. Failure to do so could result in a fine to the master.\n\n4. Slaves were not allowed to preach, except to their masters' slaves on their own plantation and in presence of white people.\n\n5. Any child who had one free parent and one slave parent was only free if the mother was the free parent.\n\n6. Slaves could not conduct business without a permit or own any personal prperty.\n\n7. Slaves were not allowed to own or have their possession weapons of any kind.\n\n8. The testimony of slaves in court was disallowed exept in those cases involving other slaves.\n\n9. It was illegal to mistreat or kill a slave unless the slave resisted punishment.\n\n10. SLaves were not allowed to strike white men or to insult them in any way.\n\n11. Slaves were never allowed to enter into any kind of legal binding contract, including contracts of marriage.\n\n12. A slave who traveled away from his own plantation had to have a pass to show as a means of identification to any white man who challenged him.\n\n13. Slaves were not allowed to swear, smoke or walk with a cane in public.\n\n14. Slaves had to step aside when whites passed them on a public street.\n\n15. It was illegal for mare than five slaves to gather together away from their own homes unless in the presence of white people.\n\n16. Slaves were not allowed to own their own animals, nor could they grow their own cotton; however, theey could have thier own gardens if thier masters allowed.\n\n17. It was illegal for a master to work his slave in the field on Sundays exept as punishment or unless he paid them for their work.\n\nI hope all the above information helps you an your school project. E-mail me and tell me if this info works or not. My e-mail address is a-maknojia@sbcglobal.net.
1085274
Slavery, as it pertained to the jews, was different from in most other parts of the world.  Jews, for instance were required to free whatever slaves they had every seven years.  In addition, they were supposed to treat their slaves with decency - shouldn't rape or kill or beat half to death.  As a result, slavery was never very profitable or common among the Israelites.  Also, being a slave would therefore imply something different.  Given time, you would be free.  Thus you should serve your master with dedication and loyalty until such time as you were freed.  Love thy neighbor, no matter what station you are in life.
741285
No. Slavery is cruel and evil and it takes a very profitable industry to get people to overlook that.
175199
:}\nWe would probably do no better than they did\nwe would probably even crucify Jesus all over again.
143610
U.S. "legalized" slavery may have ended in 1861, but please do not let us fool ourselves -- slavery, in many forms, still exists today . . . and I'm not talking "slave to my job" kind either.    :-(
954233
it showed the harsh rearlity of slavery and portrayed the south in a bad light. the south feared that it might persuade congressmen and political leaders to abolish slavery.
1163008
Slavery ended along time ago, my brother. Forget the past and look towards the future with God.  We are all one and equal with Him.
981578
Because many of them felt that women were living in a sort of state of slavery as enslaved africans had been.  Don't you agree?  :)
509307
I agree! I think they actually had a pretty miserable life,if they were living in the conditions you just described!