“At the end of the eighteenth century, well over three quarters of all people alive were in bondage of one kind or another, not the captivity of striped prison uniforms, but of various systems of slavery or serfdom,” (Hochschield, 2).
Hearing this fact in class and in reading was shocking to me. As someone who grew up in a free world and who was taught throughout her schooling of the injustices and horrors of slavery, the thought that freedom used to be so rare never crossed my mind. For all of human history slavery has been the norm. The knowledge that it was ever so common has been lost to new generations, because the idea of slavery is considered inhumane and unnecessary in the world today. In a way forgetting this part of our past is a good thing. It shows that human morality has come a long way. Most of us, in the free world, value people and freedom so much that imprisoning an innocent person for our own benefit is unthinkable. On the other hand, I believe teaching new generations about the past normality of slavery and how that was changed so quickly could be beneficial in multiple ways.
Small movements are a huge part of big change in the world today. Whether they are fighting for social justice, environmental well-being, or a combination of the two, progress seems to largely begin with these groups before it ever reaches congress. By studying the success of the abolition movement it inspires current groups to keep moving to greater heights. The greatest social change in world history, the abolition of the slave trade, was initiated by a small group of British commoners. It was a seemingly impossible task, but they achieved it. First it was abolished in Britain and the rest of the world followed. Undoubtedly, this hurt the economy of the world. It cost Britain 1.8% of its national income (Hochschild, 5). The loss was worth the gain of human freedom. A negative impact on economy is a major concern of the environmental movement today. Until we are able to adapt, cutting down oil use will hurt the economy. Is saving our environment worthy of an initial loss to our economy? Was abolition worthy of the damage it did to economy in the past? I believe the answers to these questions are both yes. Answering no to the former and yes to the latter shows how greatly our priorities have changed from those of our ancestors, the ancestors responsible for the freedom we hold up so greatly in our world today.
Hochschild, Adam. Bury the Chains: Prophets and Rebels in the fight to Free an Empire’s Slaves. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Like you said, I also think it is really important to study the abolition movement because it truly shows how such a worldwide paradigm can be shifted by the initiation of only a few people despite the negative effects on the economy. I think in general too many people's top priorities are money and focusing on the present or near future and therefore they are not giving in to these environmental movements that clearly show why we should be focusing on cutting down the use of oil for a better future. We do need to say 'yes' to both questions because these movements really are about doing what is right and thinking about the future even if it would cost a little today.
ReplyDeleteThis is a little random but I just also wanted to say that I think it's kind of ironic how that oil drilling rig sank in the Gulf of Mexico last week on Earth Day. Now there is a huge oil spill further destroying life on Earth. I think it really shows that we need to adapt more greener technologies because the unsustainable ones can just be devastating.
I agree with both of you. I always hear people say a sustainable lifestyle (mainly buying organic, local food) costs too much. It is this negative thinking that holds the movement back. Afterall if the demand changed a sustainable life style would cost less and thus be the norm.
ReplyDeleteEdelina: Not at all random!
ReplyDeleteCara,
It is quite astonishing to think about freedom as a peculiar institution -as it was famously put. Your point that it is a good sign that “we” have forgotten this not so distant past is a good one and I (obviously) agree that learning about the abolition movement is essential to the success of our current challenges and struggles. I do, however, wonder if we should be complacent about slavery being a thing of the past. Without undermining the tremendous achievements of the abolition movement, I think it might be important to ask if we are celebrating too soon or whether or not focusing solely upon this tremendous accomplishment will leave us blind to the injustices that continue (in the Congo to give just one example). In other words, in my view, we need to learn about the abolition movement not only to be better equipped to succeed in our current social justice and environmental movements but also so that we remain cognizant of how little freedom too many people currently have.