were african slaves back in the 1800's well-treated?

Question

When you hear the word slavery, i'm guessing the first thing that comes into your mind is cruelty and violence but to challenge your minds, think about the positive side. Some slave-owners treated their slave fairly and kindly so what do you think?

Answer 1

I don't care how nice you are to me, I would never want to be a piece of property!

Answer 2

Slavery was a necessary evil in the 1800s south. Many workers were required to plant and harvest crops as we did not have the machinery we do today. As to whether or not, slaves were treated well, that would depend on their owners. Some owners believed that slaves were like valuable animals and should be treated well because of their financial worth. Some owners believed that as Christians they had to treat their slaves well. Some owners were sadists and enjoyed inflicting pain and humilation on other human beings. I do believe through, that most slaves were treated as good or better than the poor factory workers (especially the Italians and Irish) that slaved for in sweat shops in the northern industrial cities. (The slave was owned and could not leave under pain of being sold down the river or being beaten. The northern factory worker could not quit because if he did, he would starve fast instead of slow.)

Answer 3

No dear, the black slaves were not treated fairly. The reason people think of cruelty and violence to slaves is because "slaves" means you're subhuman. That's why you're a slave is because people don't think you're a human being. There may have been the odd so-called "kind hearted" slave master, whom may have owned up to his illegitimate children by black women, however, she wasn't expecting them. There was no positive side to slavery, there never will be. You might as well face history in that slaves were always treated cruelly and with violence. Many were killed in cold blood for no reason at all and if there were so-called "reasons" murder does not justify any of them.

Answer 4

Simply the act of forcing someone to work for free IS a cruelty. One doesn't have to be beaten to be mistreated. I'm sure there were people who were kind to those they forced to work for them. Why wouldn't they be, after all? But slaves were considered property, treated as objects, bought and sold like livestock. They were unable to move freely about the country or own any thing. They were denied education. They were denied the the rights to live as human beings. The talents and benefits that an entire group of people could have brought to this country was annihilated along with their culture and heritage.

No, there is no "positive side" to slavery. And no, nothing good came out of it. No one has to "challenge their minds" to figure this out. Giving your livestock a pat on the head doesn't make it anything but livestock. And feeding your slaves well or providing them with proper warmth doesn't make them anything but slaves.

You can NEVER treat a slave as an "equal" because the simple fact that you OWN them makes you unequal. Even if you deign to invite them in the house to eat at your table or whatever other nonsense you might have in mind.

Answer 5

Slaves were property. Slave owners depended on them to do the work. They were generall well treated and well fed. It wouldn't make sense to do it any other way. Why spend alot of money on slaves, then not take care of your investment? By the way, when people mention
"slaves", they seem to believe that early America was the
only place with slavery. In fact there have seen slaves since the beginning of time. The history of Egyptian slavery makes American slavery look like a joke.

Answer 6

I am a white 55 year old male, and I don't see how they were properly treated AT ALL. They didn't come here because they wanted to. They were stolen from their families in Africa, and brought here to be slaves. How would you feel, if you was taken from your family to some foreign land to work as a slave? I KNOW that I wouldn't care for that whatsoever! And then they had to deal with the likes of the cruel and GUTLESS KKK to top it all off. I still find it hard to believe that it lasted until the early '60's before it was actually ended. Here, in the northeast, I am told they were treated a little better than they were down south. But the fact still remains, they were stolen from their families and brought here. With no rights as human beings at all. Rosa Parks was a great woman for what she did on that bus! And MLK was a great man as well. He believed in love for all people, regardless of their religion, or the color of their skin! If he had run for president, I would have voted for him. P.S. The KKK can kiss my ***! Gutless bastards. Reason: That little boy they brutully murdered beyond recognition, I believe his name was Emmet. Supposedly he whistled at a store owners hosebag....Oops! I mean wife. lol

Answer 7

I'd like to think that some slave owners weren't completely evil, and maybe treated their slaves well. Some slaves had children with their masters (this could've been due to rape, but you never know, maybe some of them weren't rape. There could have been love between a slave and her master) And some slaves didn't even try to free themselves because for them it was better to stay in their owner's house.

I'm not saying that slavery is ok, or that slaves' lives were the best, but I guess a few of them didn't have it that bad.

Answer 8

Most, nearly all, African slaves were not treated well. Beaten, abused, raped etc... they really didn't have good lives. It's atrocious how they were treated. Not all slave owners were bad though. There were some people who weren't disgustingly nasty. They would've been a bit kinder to their slaves but the fact is, they were still slaves, and that's never good.

Answer 9

Oh, right, what a big deal - unless one asks, "were they given their freedom papers, funds to start life with, and protection?"
In spite of isolated, occasional, limited 'kind' treatment, slaveowners were still of the mindset that the slaves were like children, NEEDING the oversight of the white plantation owners.
Bunk.

The only positive thing I come up with when I think of that time is, "how did the whites help the underground railroad and providing support to the blacks?" "How did some whites persuade others to get human and support the blacks?"
Gosh, look up the definition of 'empathy'. S/He who would strive to display this quality might bring SOME positivity to the conditions of that time. Obviously there wasn't enough, as is the case now, which you can see for yourself . . . or maybe you can't.

Answer 10

Some slave owners did treat their slaves reasonably well. First there was a distinction between house slaves and other slaves, the house slaves had it easier. Second, some who didn't believe in slavery but couldn't escape from it--George Washington for one, treated his slaves well and in fact kept them on his plantation to his economic disadvantage because many were too old to be set free (i.e. turned out and left desitute with no ability to care for themselves). But one can counter this with the concept that any time you take away freedom itself and treat somebody as property you have been cruel to them, notwithstanding physical cruelty.

So, I think I have to come down to the concept that any slavery is cruel, just that some versions are less cruel than others.

Answer 11

Hi >
I largely agree with previous answers, in that many slaves in the USA were treated fairly, and of course that was because a contented work-force is more efficient than a disgruntled one.
Also, many slave owners had decent beleifs, for some respect for others.
HOWEVER., and it is big however, as the numbers who suffered and perished in transportation & labour was appaling.
The whole notion of "owning" another person I find disgusting.
Bob.