Gender and Slavery

Crowe, Eyre. Slaves Waiting for Sale. Digital Image. TheRoot. TheRoot, 29 Jan. 2013. Web. 11 Jan. 2016.

               Oftentimes when the topic of America’s history of enslavement is discussed, slave men and slave women are categorized together and thought to have the same if not similar experiences. However, it is absolutely crucial to realize that while all slaves were united through their common struggle against slavery’s brutal hands, slave men and slave women’s treatment, mentality, and journey to freedom did indeed differ.

               Whipping, beatings, severe hunger, verbal and emotional abuse were common facets of the daily lives of both slave men and slave women. These horridities did not distinguish between the gender lines. However that is not to say that all treatment was uniform for slaves regardless of gender. Both men and women slaves were treated as the equivalent of animals, but slave women’s roles and identities differed as their bodies were often sexually exploited. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, a memoir and personal narrative Douglass wrote about the details of his life in enslavement and his journey to work towards liberation, exhibits the gendered difference of slavery. As Douglass describes in his Narrative, slave women were used as “breeding machines;” they were forced to have children with men who weren’t their husbands. Slave women were forced to use their own body against their wills simply because their masters desired to increase their slave population. A slave woman’s worth was measured in terms of if and how much she could breed and thus be of benefit to her master. A male slave’s manhood was degraded with every whip of the lash while a female slave’s womanhood was taken advantage of with every forced touch of her body.

“Females to this day are often thought of as “the more emotional” gender, and this held true for many slave women who took on maternal roles to other fellow slaves during enslavement”

               Not only did slave men and slave women differ in the way they were seen and treated, but they often shared different mentalities under enslavement. This distinction can be seen in Douglass’s Narrative by comparing Douglass to his grandmother. Douglass’s world was centered on his journey to attaining freedom, while his grandmother simply yearned to be with her family. Females to this day are often thought of as “the more emotional” gender, and this held true for many slave women who took on maternal roles to other fellow slaves during enslavement. In Douglass’s narrative, family and emotional bonds were emphasized more for female slaves while manly, aggressive, and heroic actions were more talked about in reference to male slaves. This is seen in Douglass reflecting on his first physical retaliation as a turning point in his slave career.

                In conclusion, it is critical to recognize the distinct experiences that male and female slaves faced under enslavement as well as their differences in the abolition movement. However, regardless of gender, the inexhaustible efforts and revolutionary works of writing of former slaves towards abolition led to a great historical reform in the nation.

Image: A look into the world of female slavery.

Works Cited:

Douglass, Frederick, William Lloyd Garrison, and Wendell Phillips. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.