Essay on The Cruelty of Slavery and Opression in America

A Call for Action The United States of America is known for its claims of democracy, equality, and freedom for all of it’s citizens. These claims are the foundation of America’s independence and essentially its entire history. But â€Å"claims† are simply all they were in history. While many achieved equal democracy and freedom, the African-American population of the US was exempt from these â€Å"inalienable rights† and heavily oppressed by society. The cruelty of slavery and oppression as a whole reached its peak in the 19th century bringing upon the abolitionist movement, which eventually aided in the historic removal of slavery and the continued fight for equal right of citizenship for African-Americans. Of the many abolitionists who fought for†¦show more content†¦In â€Å"An Appeal to the Women of the Nominally Free States†, Angelina Grimke immediately addresses all women as her â€Å"Beloved Sisters†, white or black. She establishes her audienc e right away and attempts to connect them through the powerful use of the sisterhood mentality. She begins to remind all women of their important duties in the world and then questions why women are stripped of political rights and duties solely because they are women, even though they are a crucial part of society. She goes on to explain slavery as a brutish crime â€Å"by which man is robbed of his inalienable right to liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, the diadem of glory, and honor, with which he was crowned, and that sceptre of dominion which was placed in his hand when he was ushered upon the theater of creation.† (Grimke). Grimke uses this vivid explanation of slavery to connect the oppression of African-Americans to the oppression of women and how women cannot forget that it is their duty to help their fellow oppressed citizens, regardless of their skin color. She says that it is not only their moral duty but also their political duty to act as members of â€Å"T he Great Human Family†. She then begins to specifically describe how slave women areShow MoreRelated Social inequality in 1820s Essay1385 Words   |  6 PagesSocial inequality in 1820s Social equality has been a goal of America since its very beginning. However, it was only an intention to be socially equal, but not a goal. Social equality or the fact that all men were created equal only applied to the white man. There was no intention in meaning that the blacks and Indians or even the women were equal. In the eyes of the delegates, and the common white majority, blacks, indians, and women were not an issue. To them, it was apparent that blacks were