How The North Promoted Prolonged And Profited From Slavery

The American Slave Trade

When discussing slavery, many people think of it primarily as a Southern institution, assuming that the North was opposed to it. However, the truth is far more complex.

The slave trade had a significant impact on economic and social aspects of life throughout the United States, including the Northern states. While slavery was not as prevalent in the North as it was in the South, it is important to recognize the role the North played in promoting, prolonging, and profiting from the institution of slavery.

Complicity: How the North Promoted, Prolonged, and Profited from Slavery

by Anne Farrow (Kindle Edition)

4.7 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	12547 KB
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Screen Reader	:	Supported
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Northern Involvement in the Slave Trade

The North played a central role in the transatlantic slave trade, which saw millions of African individuals stolen from their homes and forced into a life of enslavement. Northern merchants and shipbuilders played a crucial role in transporting enslaved Africans across the Atlantic to the Americas, including the Southern plantations.

New England, in particular, thrived on the slave trade. Cities like Boston and Newport became major hubs for the slave trade, with merchants accumulating vast fortunes by participating in the buying and selling of human beings.

Industrialization and Slavery in the North

As industrialization took hold in the North, many industries relied on raw materials produced by enslaved individuals in the Southern plantations. Cotton picked by slaves, for example, was a crucial ingredient in the textile mills of New England.

While the North did not have the same high concentration of enslaved individuals as the South, it is important to recognize that Northern businesses and industries heavily relied on the institution of slavery, contributing to its prolonged existence.

Political Complicity

The Northern states also played a significant role in maintaining slavery through political compromises. In an effort to keep the country united, compromises such as the Missouri Compromise of 1820 allowed slavery to persist and expand.

It is crucial to acknowledge that many Northern politicians actively supported and defended the institution, despite its contradiction with the ideals of liberty and equality.

Abolitionist Movement

While it is true that the North eventually became the center of the abolitionist movement, it took many years for sentiment to shift. It wasn't until the mid-19th century that abolitionist voices gained prominence.

However, even among those who opposed slavery, there were conflicting views on the best course of action. Some advocated for immediate emancipation, while others argued for gradual abolition. The battle for freedom was far from unified, even within the North.

The history of slavery in the United States is a complex and painful one, involving deep-rooted economic and societal interests. The North's involvement in promoting, prolonging, and profiting from slavery should not be overlooked or underestimated.

While it is essential to acknowledge the role the South played in the institution's perpetuation, understanding the North's role helps paint a more comprehensive picture of the United States' history with slavery. Only by confronting and learning from this dark chapter can we move forward towards a more just and equitable society.

Complicity: How the North Promoted, Prolonged, and Profited from Slavery

by Anne Farrow (Kindle Edition)

4.7 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	12547 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	379 pages

FREE

A startling and superbly researched book demythologizing the North’s role in American slavery
 
“The hardest question is what to do when human rights give way to profits. . . . Complicity is a story of the skeletons that remain in this nation’s closet.”—San Francisco Chronicle
 
The North’s profit from—indeed, dependence on—slavery has mostly been a shameful and well-kept secret . . . until now. Complicity reveals the cruel truth about the lucrative Triangle Trade of molasses, rum, and slaves that linked the North to the West Indies and Africa. It also discloses the reality of Northern empires built on tainted profits—run, in some cases, by abolitionists—and exposes the thousand-acre plantations that existed in towns such as Salem, Connecticut. Here, too, are eye-opening accounts of the individuals who profited directly from slavery far from the Mason-Dixon line.
 
Culled from long-ignored documents and reports—and bolstered by rarely seen photos, publications, maps, and period drawings—Complicity is a fascinating and sobering work that actually does what so many books pretend to do: shed light on America’s past.