Slavery in the United States was abolished with Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect in 1863; but I’m not sure it has completely gone away. Slavery flourished in North America throughout the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries where it was an important part of the country’s economic system. Under the legendary Sugar-Rum-Slave triad, sugar was shipped from the Caribbean to Europe where it was distilled into rum. Profits from this was then used to ship merchandise to West Africa where it was traded for slaves, which were sent to the Caribbean where they were sold as field hands for the sugar plantations. Others were used as indoor servants.
The tortuous life of the slaves involved such things as picking cotton, heavy labor, and just about every menial task imaginable. Some would try to escape; others would resist slavery and rebel like in the famous Nat Turner rebellion in 1831. Runaways would be recaptured and returned to their master where they were brutally punished, primarily using the whip. Rebels were executed quickly and publicly. Aside from this, most of the slaves were resigned to their fate and adhered to the rules and regulations of their master, thereby becoming dependent on him for food, clothing, and shelter. Consequently, they learned to live modestly, avoid responsibility, and be happy allowing someone else to take care of them. So much so, they would defend the master in perilous times knowing their livelihood depended on him.
Slave codes were introduced to prohibit slaves from learning to read and write, carry firearms, attend religious gatherings, and many other activities, all aimed at controlling their behavior. This was all done to dissuade slaves from running away or rebelling and frankly proved to be very effective for this purpose.
When the slaves were freed, some thrived under their new-found freedom; but many others were lost and became wards of the state. They may have been freed from their masters but were lost without someone telling them what to do.
The slave mentality is still very much among us. A class of people have emerged in this country who put forth minimal effort knowing the master (the government) will take care of them. As more and more people become addicted to entitlements, they become more apathetic and less likely to work. As an example, let’s consider the American Indian, on whom we have been spending in excess of $2.6 billion annually (1) over the last few years for such things as health care, education, public safety, housing, and rural development. Despite this huge cash infusion over an extended period of time, only 25% are employed, and they suffer from the highest poverty rate and lowest life expectancy in the country. The point is that when you become a ward of the state and such amenities are guaranteed to you, there is a natural inclination for apathy to run rampant.
Those imbued with the slave mentality do not simply want something for nothing; they expect it. Whereas they are content to perform simple labor, they expect their master, the federal government, to provide for their housing, welfare, health care, and other amenities. This explains why entitlements have grown at an alarming rate in recent years and why such people have no problem with a massive government. They are mindful of the rules and regulations of the master but have no true understanding of the concept of freedom, which is nothing more than a catch-phrase of the government.
In contrast, those opposed to big government who actively work to sustain themselves relish freedom and truly understand the price of it in blood and sweat. They realize that freedom encourages personal initiative to invent, innovate, discover, write, and create. They may either be successful or a failure, but they relish the opportunity to at least try. They are allowed to believe what they want, say what they want, and go where they want; but most importantly, they are allowed to be an entrepreneur with all of the risks and responsibilities involved. The slave mentality class doesn’t grasp this and shirks risk and responsibility, preferring the safety of the master instead.
The slave codes of today are implemented by the media that cleverly manipulates the people’s sense of right and wrong, thereby defining how they should think and act. As George Orwell correctly observed, “The people will believe what the media tells them they believe.” Political correctness is an obvious example of how the media influences the perceptions of people. In reality, the media is controlled by the government, which orchestrates the messages to the masses. From this, the slaves steadfastly protect their master by savagely attacking his detractors, either physically or verbally. Such slaves are simple people who can be easily manipulated by the media.
For the slave mentality to flourish, government needs to grow and become more invasive in the lives of the people. Entitlements are the hallmark of the slaves, something they believe they deserve as opposed to earning, something the master will provide. To grasp the size of the people possessing the slave mentality, consider how the country’s Welfare has escalated since 1960:
So what exactly is the slave mentality? A person who is willing to become subserviant to the government in exchange for basic creature comforts as opposed to earning it themselves. The slave unknowingly remains a prisoner and is not truly free. In reality, he/she does not understand freedom, nor do they want it; for freedom requires hard work, risk, and responsibility, elements that they have been conditioned to avoid. Knowing this, the government master controls the people through simple bribery and uses the media to manipulate the perceptions of the masses.
The initial reaction to this theory is to dismiss it out of hand, that wards of the state can hardly be considered slaves. However, if they think like slaves and behave like slaves, then in all likelihood they are slaves. It is important to recognize that this mentality is certainly not unique to the United States; it has also become prevalent in the United Kingdom as well as other European countries. One thing we cannot overlook is that if the master’s source of money evaporates, he will be unable to take care of his slaves, and then they will have to settle for less. They may resist austerity measures initially, but they will inevitably have to fall in line. Just remember: if the slaves get out of line, the master still has the whip that he is unafraid of using.
Keep the Faith!
1 – U.S. Department of the Interior Budget Justifications and Performance Information, FY 2013
Keep the Faith!
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Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com
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Mr Byrce,
I can tell you right now, straight away, you have your facts WRONG concerning slavery in the South. I will name only the first of many mistakes you made.
You state, “Slavery in the United States was abolished with Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which took effect in 1863;..”
NO it was NOT! The Emancipation Proclamation ONLY freed those slaves that were in the states that seceded, that came under control of the union army during the war. The PE was ONLY a political and economical act of war against the South in order to further cripple its’ ability to wage war. Slavery after the EP remained in FULL force in all union states where state law allowed. West Virgina and New Jersey are prime examples of slave holding states where slavery remained intact. In New Jersey, the state got around the issue of the term slavery itself by calling the institution “Apprenticeships”. (The British Emancipated the slaves TWICE in the united states. 1st during the Revolutionary War and 2nd during the War of 1812. So, a precedent was already established as to why it was used. It was NOT due to any good intent meant for the black man!) This was not abolished until the 13th Amendment which is the law that actually freed slaves and people of indentured servitude. There are many other examples, but this should suffice.
I read at least 3 more errors in your article concerning slavery; but what’s the point in addressing them? People are so indoctrinated in the Federal Government crap and propaganda, ya’ll just don’t know any better, and don’t care to find out the truth. And that is the real reason ya’ll are here today complaining about how tyrannical the Federal Government has become. Ya’ll don’t like what you see happening around you today, yet you deny the truth that would satisfy the problem. (Answer the questions to your problems.) And sadly everyone is too arrogant to admit any of this, as ya’ll would rather attack me and what I wrote as being the easier way than considering what I said.
However to be fair, I agree with the general discourse of where you are leading. Indeed, the country is being led into slavery. Personally I think it was a “bum” deal, trading one form of slavery, with just a few people in that institution compared to what you got, which 100% of the people being in that institution today. The biggest difference one was mainly a direct physical enslavement whereas the other is slavery by bondage to a system that places greater burdens on the individual than the former.
Michael– Deo Vindicabamur
First off – in reality and truth the so-called Emancipation Proclamation did not free anyone – not one ! It was an illegal worthless piece of paper that even Lincoln admitted to. And the Northern slaves were NOT freed until well into the 1870′s – long AFTER the war. The war had NOTHING to do with the war. The South nation, that Lincoln had no authority over and was NOT the President of, freed most of their slaves almost a year BEFORE the illegal Lincoln invasion on the South CSA nation. I realize that this above author has no idea of TRUE history since he has been indoctrinated in the same govt schools as we all have and have been TOLD to believe what they told us to = all lies we were force-fed from the cradle. Remember, any nation that has govt run schools IS A DICTATORSHIP. You are forced to believe whatever that govt wants you to. Even when it is all lies. The North and South nations are TWO separate nations and have been since the Founders first established this land. In 1861 the South nation just formed their own general govt, NOT a nation, as the nation already existed. The only relationship the South states had with DC North, was the Union they had voluntarily joined when it was under the Founders ; but in 1861 Lincoln did a complete coup on the DC govt and REPLACED it with his own Marxist system that we have been under since. Lincoln was a dedicated life-long Marxist Communist. Of course DC Feds would NOT want YOU to know that, so they created a ‘new Lincoln” to be the ‘hero’ that everyone to this day is made to practically worship – a Lincoln that never existed. The real Lincoln was a tyrant and a Dictator. But you are not suppose to know about that. DC has gone to great lengths to keep the REAL history hidden.
That should read above – ‘Slavery had NOTHING to do with the war.’
I found this article well written and passionate, yet misguided about many African Americans in this country. For the most part, I agree with your article. Here’s a challenge for you. I have a Bachelor, Master, and 90% of my doctoral completed, and I have been hopelessly unemployed for two years. I haven’t had a permanent job in four years. If I have to live off of some sort of government assistance, does that mean I am exhibiting a ‘slave mentality’ OR has the world I live in let me down?
My background, since 1998 is health care. So, I am not a one trick pony, I have relevant work experience to match my education. The health care industry is doing quite well, and if all of my years of health care experience cannot work, my Bachelor is Management Information System. So where does an African American such as myself fit in?
My point is sir, there is another side to this coin that you haven’t written about, and will probably never write about. The fact that since the recession hit, African Americans lost their jobs in record numbers. This group has been the slowest to reenter into the workforce, with competitive wages, if at all, and this is not due to slave mentality, but perhaps the mentality of whites who wish to be modern day slave masters, no?
So, your belief, albeit true for some is simply not true for most African Americans, in this country. This misguided belief is what fuels the belief that we, I, are lazy, good for nothing people looking for a hand out. This marks me unfairly; this puts a damper on my efforts and all that I have accomplished. Is that fair? While, you speak so eloquently about the bums that don’t want to work, because it is just so easy to get the freebies, share your gift of words about the bums that don’t want to hire and treat African Americans fairly and equally.
I’d say there’s a dual effort in keeping and protecting the slave mentality, from African Americans and Whites. There are people that live better than most people, and they haven’t worked a day in their lives. It isn’t there fault, it’s the fault of the mostly white Congress that wanted those African Americans everywhere, except in their office or environment.
How many blacks do you employ, compared to the number of blacks that have actually applied to work for or with you? Tell the truth and shame the devil.
Respectfully yours,
Denise
@Denise
The Emancipation Proclamation did NOT free ANY slaves!
That is a BIG misconception taught by public education.
It was Constitutional to have slavery and the EP could not change that! The war was NOT fought over slavery because it was already Constitutional, the Southern States or any Northern State needing no law to permit slavery.
The EP was given by Lincoln from advice from Karl Marx as well as it being a economic move in order to help the union war effort. If you study the EP you will note it ONLY APPLIED to slaves in Southern States areas, and then ONLY to slaves in union controlled territory that were under union control. It was hoped that the EP would cause slave revolts which would help shorten the war. The British done the same thing during the Revolutionary War and many slaves from the NORTH ended up in Canada or in Britain. Even during Lincoln’s War General of the Army Butler claimed salves were still slaves but were CONTRABAND not to be returned to the South. Meaning that the EP had nothing to do with freeing any slave. Also note it was the Northern States that were the last to free slaves, AFTER Lincoln’s War and the passage of the 13th Amendment.
Slaves were used by the NORTH, including the Federal armies throughout the war, including helping built the dome over the Capital. At one point Lincoln had to personally write General Grant to stop using slaves for so much of the army’s work. Note also that after Richmond fell, none other than Mary Todd Lincoln strolled the streets of a bombed out Richmond with her personal slave escorting her.
If you really wanna see how hypocritical the North was, including how racist and bigoted they were, just Google and read up on Grant’s General Order No. 11.
Somebody has a h3ll of a lot of apologizing to do… And it ain’t no Southern States……
Michael– Deo Vindicabamur