Sample History Paper on Amistad Affair

Slavery can be termed as the multi-faceted and multidimensional dehumanization of a human being. Slavery, as practiced in the current dispensation, is fueled by multiple factors. Players in slavery include the slave hunters, merchants, masters, and those who benefit from the proceeds of slavery such as the industries receiving raw materials from slave labor. These individuals abate the trade. There should be a concerted effort, especially towards forestalling and preventing the proliferation of such trade, to eradicate the vice from society. It is imperative to interrogate reverse-chain mechanisms, which would eliminate the demand for products of slave labor to eliminate the necessity of the trade.

Currently, government and society have done little towards the elimination of slavery. The current policies on anti-slavery and societal inclination are indicative of machinations of self-righteousness and wish-away inaction (Jurmain 116)- if it does not affect us then it is not our problem. When faced with distress, human beings exhibit animal-like tendencies of over aggression and savagery (Jones 925). As such, the Mendes on board the Amistad justifiably wreaked havoc and even slayed the captain and crew (Cable 31) when faced with the threat of slavery. The anti-slavery campaign by our government should embellish similar savagery against perpetrators of slavery. For starters, the US and English navies should patrol the Atlantic Ocean waters to prevent the transportation of slaves from Africa to the target markets in the Americas and the Caribbean. Policy should be amended to sentence perpetrators of slave trade to the maximum death sentence should they be found guilty of the practice. Additionally, the Americas populace should be sensitized on the higher levels of productivity of mechanization and free labor compared to coerced and/or slave labor. Only through such concerted efforts from society and government can slavery be eliminated from society.

Works Cited

Cable, Mary. Black Odessey: The Case of the Slave Ship Amistad. Viking Press, 1971.

Jones , Howard. “Cinqu’e of the Amstad a slave trader? Perpetuating a myth.” Journal of         American History (2000): 923-939.

Jurmain, Suzanne. Freedom’s Sons: The true Story of thr Amistad Mutiny. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1998.

Library of Congress . Survivors of Amistad Mutiny Released. United States Copyright        Office. <www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/march-09/>.