Why Is Slavery Important Today

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Slavery was a huge part of the past in the United States. My drawing is supposed to represent a slave during the slavery period, in handcuffs because slavery was like being trapped with no freedom. Life at the time was not fair between white and African American citizens. They had many restrictions put on them known as the Black Codes, and life today is very different. In the South, that was where slavery was a huge deal in the United States. Social prestige was a huge part of slavery. It was important as people who had owned more slaves were usually more wealthy, and tended to control politics. The upper south had smaller slave populations than the lower south. In the lower south, for example Mississippi had about 50% of the population as slaves. South …show more content…
In 1865 after the Civil War happened, that is when the Black Codes were passed. When they were passed, these laws would limit the rights of freed slaves, and add restrictions on top of that. The Black Codes were even passed in some of the Northern States before the Civil War took place to ban the free blacks from residing in the Northern states. For example, they had strict curfew times, and they even needed a pass to move from town to town. Other laws restricted the freed slave’s from attaining an education. Punishments for freed slaves included whipping, and cutting off toes and fingers of rebellious slaves. Lastly, an iconic figure from this time period, who is still very well acknowledged today is Harriet Tubman. Harriet Tubman was a slave herself during this time. She was known for leading other slaves to the North via the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman had taken a big risk and escaped slavery, and led thousands of slaves to Canada, and the free Northern States. Because at the time she was a runaway slave, there was a big reward for whoever could find her. That didn’t stop her from being a brave woman and role model to