Precarious Experiment, A: African American and Native American Viewpoints
The institution of slavery is undermined by the Revolutionary War. Many slaves run away, serving in the Continental Army and eventually gaining their freedom. There is widespread belief that slavery will come to an end because of its incompatibility...
Impact of Slavery, The
Historian and author Ira Berlin argues that slavery was vile, hideous and obscene, but also an institution which became, "...the seed bed of so much creativity, and so much we...appreciate and love about American life."
Role of the Plantation, The
Historian and author Ira Berlin explains that it was cotton and sugar, in the nineteenth century, which, "...transformed the United States from a minor player in the plantation game to the largest slave society in the world."
Struggle in the Border States
Historian and author Ira Berlin talks about the challenge of convincing the border states to emancipate. Professor Berlin explains that the enlistment of African-American men helped speed the process and began to erode slavery in Maryland, Kentucky,...
Final Stages: Battles in the Deep South in 1864 and Their Impact on the Slave Population
William Sherman, commander of Union troops in the West, begins his infamous march to the sea in November and December of 1864 after defeating Confederate forces in Atlanta. With the presence of the Union army so deep within the South, slaves become ...
Fueling the Abolition Movement
Historian and author Ira Berlin explains that the key event in the abolition of slavery was the Revolutionary War. "The ideology of the American Revolution--the notion that all men are created equal--is every corrosive to the institution of slavery,...
Slavery Experience, The
Historian and author Ira Berlin talks about the realities of day to day life for slaves. Professor Berlin explains that the slave's experience varied depending on whether he or she lived in a city or in the country, on a small farm or a large planta...
Slavery and the Civil War
While many people, including Abraham Lincoln, said the Civil War was about the Union, historian and author Ira Berlin argues that the war cannot be understood without the institution of slavery. In fact, Professor Berlin adds, "...By the end of the ...
Slavery: A Historical Perspective
Historian and author Ira Berlin provides a historical overview of slavery, noting that it is mentioned in both the Bible and the Koran. Professor Berlin describes slavery as an institution that produces goods very quickly and cheaply, but does so in...
Resistance and Rebellion
Historian and author Ira Berlin explains that slaveholders were generally able to prevail upon non-slaveholders to help them squelch resistance among the slave population. "But ultimately," Professor Berlin notes, "...slavery is destroyed by what we...