The Effects Slavery had on African American children’s lives in America
Children are impressionable and vulnerable for many years of their life, no matter what race they are and no matter where they live. Sometimes the circumstances of a child’s life are positive, and unfortunately sometimes they are negative. The environment in which African American slave children grew up was anything but positive, with oppressive authorities who refused to acknowledge them as equal human beings or much less treat them like ones. Culturally, slaves were perceived as property that could be owned and transferred, so there was little concern for the emotions or well-being of their lives. At such a young age, these slave children were subjected to psychological damage and abuse that ultimately had an impact on the way they interacted with others, viewed other human beings, and how they felt about the life they were forced to endure overall. Much of how these children responded was attributed to the slave-owner’s style of authority, and also by the influences of strength and wisdom from their family members, if there were any actual family with them at all. It is unfair to assume a child should understand its circumstances under slavery, and most of the time they never did. The youthful spirit of these children were dampened but never completely stifled. Kids will be kids no matter what, but these particular individuals suffered in a society that made them adjust to a life that was naturally unintended for them to live. A child is typically curious, energetic and
playful, and these qualities even survived through the harsh settings of slavery, despite the idea that they should not exist in that environment.
Enslaved children were particularly vulnerable to separation from their parents. Regardless of the fact that they might be separated from their family, the parents of the slave children kept a strong sense of identity for their family. The fathers would often give the children gifts and pass down family air looms to their children. They constantly tried to keep the family together or make them seem like they had a part of each other. When they could not be with their family they would become a part of a kinship group. A kinship group is when an extended family member or close friend would take the role of the child’s parents. They would be their new family during this hard time when their biological members were stripped away. The children were distracted from all the trials of slavery when they were part of a family or kinship.
Even with slavery’s hardships, slave children’s childhood was not always deprived from them. The children would find toys to play with. Many children played with home-made toys or they played with mud and sticks they found outside. They would also play games together to help them cope with their daily struggles of slavery. One of the most popular games the slaves played was tug-of-war. Singing songs together and dancing at night time was a very popular part of their culture. The slaves would sing songs about their lives to get the emotions of stress and frustration out. Slave children were not completely deprived of their childhood because they kept their sprits high and depended on each other for support.
The children worked a little differently than adult slaves. They would begin to work on the plantations at different ages. The younger children would tote water around and pick up rocks, and would also work in the yards to keep them free of weeds and manicured. Children around six years of age would tend to milking cows and feeding the animals on the farm. By age twelve they were considered adults and would be responsible for the same jobs as their parents. Under all these horribly unfair conditions, it is impressive to note how strong and determined the slaves were in maintaining the few lively aspects of their existence. It was a combination of survival instincts and the knitting of support groups within their culture that helped them to bear all the surrounding forces of negativity.
While most people in today’s time could not imagine what it would truly be like to grow up as a slave, something anyone can appreciate is the fact that these children were able to stay as positive as they did and make the most of their situations. The amount of mental and physical strength displayed by slave children was beyond admirable. To be able to cope with the breaking up and destruction of their family while simultaneously enduring the hateful laws and treatment from their authorities could arguably be one of the most difficult scenarios imaginable for a human being to experience. By playing games and exercising their youthful tendencies, the slave children helped themselves to overcome the resounding negativity that permeated their lives. When viewed from the right perspective, the way in which the kinship groups formed was actually one of the most beautiful parts of the entire slavery-era. It represented that when united under forced maltreatment, a group of people can come together and support one another with love and encouragement no matter what. To think that certain people, especially children, were ever treated in this manner inside the United States is embarrassing and shameful to realize, but as the slave children did during their hardships, Americans and other people around the world should draw positively what they can from it all. Never giving up, keeping a hopeful attitude, and staying close to the people you love will always bring about positive results no matter how awful things can be.
African American adults continue to use keywords and social attitudes to retain a kinship with people who resemble other African Americans; for example, a dark-skinned person from any port of call on the planet is referred to as “brother or sister.” Socially and economically successful blacks like Justice, Clarence Thomas, Herschel Walker, or Stacey Dash are shunned and would never be considered or excepted within the kinship clan.
Chinyere offers a unique, stylish collection of Pakistani casual dresses for girls. Our selection includes the latest trends in ladies’ dresses Pakistani, ensuring that you always look your best.
Look no further for the perfect pair of party-wear shoes! Adoro has everything you need to pull off your sleekest and most stylish look. we offer the best men party wear shoes with good quality leather and synthetic materials, making sure you stay comfortable and stylish. So, step out in style with Adoro and make a lasting impression among your peers.
Genuinesmm is a trusted social media marketing service that leverages expert strategies to enhance your online presence. Increase engagement, gain followers, and drive organic growth with genuine, tailored solutions. Establish a credible and influential digital footprint, boost brand visibility, and achieve success in the competitive social media landscape with Genuinesmm. com.
Thanks for sharing I am very impressed to see your interview I watched your complete interview when you are free check my comments and visit my store. https://shopifit.online/
Right on. The childhood experience of enslaved people in the U.S. is, sadly, one of the least discussed and least researched aspects of antebellum life among enslaved African-Americans. Contrary to common misconception, their stories are not completely lost and forgotten, although they are not very easy to uncover. Their stories remain boxed up in dusty old attics of the descendants of slave owners, the basements of libraries and municipal buildings, and in the climate controlled tubs and bins of uncatalogued court transcripts, bills of sale, business ledgers, and letters of correspondence tucked away in the storage areas of the Library of Congress where they’ve remained for the past 100-150 years waiting to be archived. Like so many ugly, uncomfortable truths about our nation’s past – and present- the haunting and disturbing reality of the daily existence of enslaved children terrifies Americans and fiercely challenges the myths and lies of America’s founding. Furthermore, it reveals the true sick, hideous and downright EVIL character of those who owned slaves or who participated in and/or benefitted from the institution of slavery, dispelling the myth of the benevolent master by bringing to surface the unimaginable abuse, torture and assault that characterized the daily existence of black children beginning at birth and all the way up through their adolescence…and beyond.
The Amazon Web Services SAP-C02 dumps, also known as the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional Exam, is a prestigious certification exam that validates advanced knowledge and skills in architecting solutions on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) platform. This exam assesses your ability to design and deploy complex, scalable, and highly available AWS infrastructure solutions for various business requirements.
Drift Hunters offers a variety of vehicles for players to choose from. From agile sports cars to powerful racing cars, players can customize and upgrade their vehicles to create unique and powerful vehicles.
Of course, your article is good enough, baccaratsite and leave a message!!
When I read an article on this topic, slotsite ?? Please!!
Your writing is perfect and complete. baccaratcommunity but I thought it would be much better to see professional photos and videos together. There are articles and photos on these topics on my homepage, so please visit and share your opinions.
As I am looking at your writing, casinocommunity the first thought was profound and difficult, and I wondered if others could understand.. My site has a discussion board for articles and photos similar to this topic. Could you please visit me when you have time to discuss this topic?
I do elieve all the concepts you’ve introduced on yohr post. They’re really convincing and can definitely work.
Nonetheless, the posts are too quicck for newbies. May you please extend themm a bit from next time? Thank you for the post.
https://urthwurk.com
Step into style with our collection of formal shoes for women. Our selection features a variety of classic designs that are perfect for the office, special occasions, and everyday wear. Shop now for the best quality materials and comfortable fits.
Hello I am so excited I found your website, I really found you by error, while I was researching on Google for something else, Regardless I am here now and would just like to say thank you for a tremendous post and a all round exciting blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to go through it all at the moment but I have book-marked it and also included your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read much more, Please do keep up the great job.
Weight Loss
I like this blog. Thank you for sharing this information.
emo clothes