Now, I'm sure you recall that in the 1800's slavery was commonplace in the South. Even though the living conditions of slaves heavily depended on the hearts of their Slave-Master, all of the slaves experienced a rough journey to the Americas. Read this article to discover what the journey to the Americas was like for captured slaves.
For your comment this week, post about the similarities and differences between the experiences of the slaves in the South and the poor living conditions of many in Northern cities. What were the attitudes of the people "above" them?
Wow. That was very difficult for me to read and hear. I had always heard about how slaves were treated terribly, but I didn't know to what extent. Both the slaves in the South and the slaves in the North were treated terribly, but I would have to say the slaves in the South were worse off. Both the slaves had rough living conditions obviously. They had to deal with sickness, weather, and many other terrible things. Neither were living comfortable lives to say the least. BUt the huge difference was that the Northern slaves had some sort of hope. Like you said, it was a time of immigration, industrialization, and growth. The slaves traveling over for the South had no hope. Like the article said, many had given up and were hurting eachother. They were seeing others die and be thrown overrboard. They were seeing their children dying and not being able to hold their heads up or stand. The attitudes of the people above them were cruel. They thought of them as less than cattle and nothing of importance. They obviously didn't care how they treated them because they put them in such conditions. This makes me look at slavery in a whole different perspective. (207)
ReplyDeleteSome major similarities between slaves and the poor would be how they were looked at by society, both were seen as lower or equal to the status of animals. The main differences between these two groups would have been the amount of freedom each had. The poor of New York still could at the least move around freely, much more than the hundreds of slaves crammed below the deck of ships. Another way they are different would be the amount of money they had, no matter how little. The slaves had no money or personal items. The poor at least could make a small amount of money even if it were spent immediately. Overall this was a bad time period to live in.(123)
ReplyDeleteThe poor people definitely had it bad compared to what the definition of poor is in our time. Slaves had terrible living conditions on their way to be sold, and the crew treated them like dirt. In the article when the British and the American’s caught the slave ship the crew member said just to kill all the slaves instead of talking them back. It is sad to think that the slaves would have rather drowned themselves then to live. The living conditions were terrible for them, they were stuffed together, the smell was unbearable, and the people hardly got food or water. The poor did not have it quite as bad but they still had it bad. They had to live in very small and cramped areas. They would get sick because of the cramped spaces; just like the slaves. The doctor in the video said that the kid was dying of starvation; just like the slaves. On the outside it seems like there might not be a lot of similarities between the poor and the slaves but I do think there are quite a few of them. (190)
ReplyDeleteThe article and video really helped me see how horribly slaves were treated in the North and South. One similarity is how slaves were thought of no matter where they lived. Everyone looked down on slaves and did not even think of them as people. The attitudes of people above them were not good at all. They let the slaves go through all of these horrible things, and did not care about them all. They thought that they were much better than them. All of the slaves were treated terrible and went through so much pain, and many died from disease, starvation, and lack of fresh air and water. The account of the ship showed how bad it was, and how they were all packed together and what bad conditions they lived in. Living conditions in the North were really bad too, but compared to the conditions on a slave ship, the way slaves lived in the North was better. So many slaves died, and lived miserable lives. (168)
ReplyDeleteThe video and the website really helped understand this topic. On the website i noticed the picture of the slave ship and remembered it from last year. The way they transported slaves was brutal. The southern slaves were, in my opinion, treated terribly. The slave's owner would show if the slave would survive or not. If a slave had a mean owner they would probably kill the slave. If it was a nice owner then the slave would possibly live in peace. The treatment of slaves was terrible. The living conditions in the North were bad. It is a good thing they did not have slaves because the slaves would be tortured not just by their owner but also by the conditions outside. (124)
ReplyDeleteWow we sure have a lot to be thankful about. Both the poor in the north and the slaves had it pretty bad. It was awful watching the video and seeing the living conditions of the poor. Then again, it was bad hearing about the slave ships. One similarity is that the slaves and the poor were crammed. The slaves didn’t have any room to move, even just a little. The poor were stuffed in rooms, but they did have more room than the slaves. In the video it said that one floor of the tenements could contain four families, and the families weren’t necessarily small. Both suffered from the heat. The slaves had no ventilation so it got extremely stuffy and hot. In the summertime, the poor had no air and they suffered in the heat. Once again, the slaves endured more but both were bad. The people above the slaves and the poor seemed to have no heart. The slave traders didn’t seem to care about the terrible slave quarters; they just wanted the money. Also, I’m sure most of the rich in the North didn’t make an appoint to help the poor. We shouldn’t take for granted all of the amenities we have. {206}
ReplyDelete~Hey_its_Mo!:)~
The video and the story we had to read were just sad. I did not notice all the things these people had to go through. A similarity they both had were that they both were living in rough conditions. The people who lived in the tenements were crammed all together and so were the slaves on the ships. They were both considered as lower class people or just animals. They were both looked down on. The differences they had were that the people in the North had at least some money and freedom. The slaves did not have money or anything at that. And the only freedom they had was when they were allowed to get some fresh air and some water, which was not a lot. Overall, both the slaves and the people up North were both not living well, but the slaves had it the worst. (149)
ReplyDeleteIn the north there were a lot of poor people. Many people had to live in tenements and two to three families lived in one floor. They were not very nice places to live and it created a lot of diseases and death. But to be a slave in the south would be even worse. First you get captured from your home and you are in a boat with a couple hundred other people you may not even know. It smells and is inhuman. You have to sail across the ocean in this horrible ship. Then once you get to America you are sold to a man that looks totally different. He makes you go home with him and puts you to work. And when you don’t please him he whips you dreadfully. (113)
ReplyDeleteThese two groups of people had many similarities, but they also had many differences. One of those differences was that most of the poor people in the North were immigrants, and had the choice weather to come to America or not. Their life in America was also probably better than their life back home. The slaves on the boat however didn’t have a choice, but were taken captive and forced to come to America.They also weren’t guaranteed a better life than the one at home with their families. The slaves and the poor did have some similarities in they both lived in small places crammed with many people. They both also had a high risk in getting sick and dying because of their living and health conditions. Overall they both lived horrible lives being looked down on by other people, and many died from lack of food and other essentials. (151)
ReplyDeleteYikes! I must say, if I lived in either of these too lives, I would rather be dead. Actually I take that back. Those living in poor conditions in the north were not in the best health, but most of them were surviving. I couldn't stand to be one of the slaves aboard a slaver ship. I do think it is interesting how people still went through all of the trouble to sell these slaves, even after two of the most powerful nations on the planet prohibit it. When I read the article, I tried to imagine what life would be like to be a slave. I tried as hard a I could, but even then I bet it wasn't nearly close to what it was like. I wouldn't be able to do it, to spend 5 months cooped up in a compartment that was barely 3 feet tall. Also, whomever I was sharing it with could kill me just for more breathing room. When I read that this scenario was better than some ships, I nearly fell over crying because of how horrible it must have been to be on that ship.
ReplyDeleteNickname: Annabanana
Oops: (193)
DeleteThe north and south were very different. The lower class was two completely separate stories. It seems like the entire middle to upper class didn’t care what was going on in these "houses". I would rather be someone in the north because I would get to start out in America instead of taking the middle passage to get here. The life of the people up north was very hard. Living with 3 or more other families must be horrible. Most of the people probably didn't have their own personal space. It was even worse for the slaves in the south. The middle passage is what was used to get the slaves to America or other places from Africa. Once they got here to America things got a little better but it wasn’t even close to fair. They were mistreated and hated.(141)
ReplyDeleteIt's very troubling to think about how both of these kinds of people lived. I think it's really pathetic how cruel the slaves were treated. Both groups of people lived similar lifestyles, but I think it's pretty obvious who had it worse-the slaves. It's really disappointing to remember that this was part of our history. The slaves were treated like dirt, thrown on a ship, crammed together with a ton of people with sweat, debris, and disease, and somehow expected to live until the journey was over. They went crazy when they were able to have fresh air and water, probably not even clean water. Life after they got off the ship, wasn't much better knowing that they were going to be sold to work. With no pay. The people in the North were crammed together as well in the tenements. Slaves and poor Northerners both suffered from hot temperatures and exposure. Northern people suffered from many life-threatening diseases as well, but did manage to be able to eat. I think the main difference between the slaves and the immigrants was that the immigrants chose to come to America and they had a chance to have a successful life. The slaves were forced to come and didn't even have freedom. The attitude of the slave drivers' was that they were not interested in the needs of the slaves and could care less. That was probably the attitude of wealthy people above the poor northerners as well. We should be glad we are not living in these kind of conditions. (259 words)
ReplyDeleteThat was disgusting. I totally understand wanting to have a slave (cause it would be nice to have someone do stuff for me for free) because there wasn’t anything wrong with it at the time but I see no need to treat them like that. And the poor people, I understand that they are poor and that they can’t afford to see doctors and live in nicer homes but that doesn’t mean that we should totally neglect them. Anyways, similarities. Both slaves and poor people were treated a lot the same. They were both put in a status that makes them look like they aren’t humans. They also were so low in reputation that when they were ill, doctors wouldn’t treat them or even visit them. And even if the doctors came, the people were so near death that there was nothing the doctors could do. I thought that there were a bit more differences between the slaves and the people in poverty in America. I think the main difference to me was freedom. Slaves were obviously enslaved and did not have freedom. They were property of slave owners. That gave the slave owners they responsibility to take care of them and feed them. In most cases slave owners did feed the slaves and gave them a place to live. It may not have been a good place to live but it was a place to live. But unlike slaves, poor people often have no place to live and some went days without food. Which is how they died: Starvation. They didn’t have a place to live. In the video, it said that there were several records of deaths of the lower class because they rolled of roofs and feel off window sills while sleeping because they had no place to sleep. This makes me feel a lot more thankful for what I have. It also shows that freedom comes at a price. (323)
ReplyDeleteIn the video it surprised me how bad Americans were living. I didn’t really think about what was going on in the poor people’s lives until now. I believe it would have been better for them to live in the wild however, because then they could, theoretically, get free food and shelter (if they can find/make it). Being on a slave ship would be way worse than being in a tenement house though. Being shoulder to shoulder for a LONG time would just be awful. Also you would have to deal with the people near to you germ wise because of them being human (if you know what I mean) and sickness would spread SO fast. (jonathan)
ReplyDeleteBoth living conditions were horrible. The slaves had it worse by far though. The northerners may have been in terrible living situations but they were still considered people. The slaves were treated like talking live stock. The place were they were kept on voyages were floating morgues. The dude who wrote the article said that it smelled so bad he could not bear to go down to the holding area. The poor northerner’s people could also make something of themselves. The African Americans were not even considered a person they were three fifths of a person. So the may both have been hard lives but the slave life was much worse. (111)
ReplyDeleteBoth of these living conditions were very poor. I had no idea how rough the northerners had it. Some of them lived in old stables and outhouses! As bad as the people up north had is, the slaves were treated like straight up crap. They made them use the bathroom in a bucket in the same room they slept in! They didn't have beds either! So they would be laying on cold hard ground (sometimes it would also be very hot). Both sides had very poor living conditions but I don't think the people up north realized how bad the slaves had it. If they did they would probably be grateful. (111 words)
ReplyDeleteThe conditions in the North and South in the 1800s were surprisingly similar. The only major difference between them was their location. Just as the immigrants in the North had awful “homes” in the tenements, the slaves in the south had horrid living conditions in on the Middle Passage ships. The slaves had masters, and the immigrants had bosses. Both slaves and immigrants had a very high chance of catching diseases. They also were both often separated from their families. I think one of the biggest differences though, is the fact that the immigrants made a choice for the life they had. They could’ve chosen whether or not they wanted to go to America. Because they did, this was the price they had to pay. Slaves on the other hand, had no say in being forcefully dragged out of their homes and tossed onto S.S. Death Wish. (145)
ReplyDeleteWith my mother being a former history teacher, before I read this I had an idea of how bad the conditions were for slaves. However, I never imagined how bad it was for the factory workers in the north. It's astonishing that their lives were so different and yet so similar. They were both looked down upon by the upper-class of society, but for different reasons. The slaves were looked down on because they were a different race, and it's horrible to know that some people didn't even consider them humans. The factory workers in the north were looked down on because they were poor which is an awful reason to not like someone. I think it's safe to say that both groups lived very hard lives.
ReplyDelete[127]
reading this makes me realize how lucky i am to have a family and a home. The slaves were treated wrong because they were a different color than us. It was very wrong. They were also beat and whipped very hard. The workers in the North were just poor or "unpopular". I think this kinda is still going on today in schools. Most kids want to be popular so they try their hardest to be better that the lower classmen. This is wrong but it still goes on. Maybe not as harsh, but still is. Whether we like it or not we have to love everyone no matter what. This would be an example of how not to act towards other people. (121)
ReplyDeleteBoth stories are incredibly sad. The poor people in the north and the slaves on the middle passage both suffered greatly. The people above them didn't care about them at all and no one cared if the people died. The slaves had to suffer from disease, lack of air, lack of food, and each other. The poor tenants in the north had to live with small living quarters, the smallest bit of food. and cheap clothing. When people came to help both groups, they found out how terrible it really was and began to try and put a stop to it. Slavery has been abolished in America but it's still out in the world today. There are also poor tenants out there but their living quarters have greatly improved. While people from both sides still hate each other, the bridge dividing them has shrunken considerably. If only they followed Jesus' words: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."(162)
ReplyDeleteThe lives of the poor in the north and the slaves in the south were terrible. Both the slaves and the poor were crammed up into on area. The poor had tenements and the slaves had almost no room to move around. In my opinion the slaves had the worst time compared to the poor in the north. The north had sickness and starvation and small houses. While the slaves were working with no pay, treated horribly, and suffered the ride to America. The people “above” them didn’t really care how these people were doing. They just cared for themselves. The thing is that we should be thankful for the things we have and to not suffer in times like those. (121)
ReplyDelete