Slavery and Slaves in the United States of America

It is hard to disagree that slavery has been a major problem in the U.S. for centuries, and tremendous efforts have been made to eliminate it. In 1843, Henry Highland Garnet, an African American newspaper editor, gave his speech called “An Address to the Slaves of the United States.” In that speech, he openly encouraged a rebellion, which is why it was rejected and finally published only in 1848, becoming an example of the Black Press. Thus, this is a brave and rather successful attempt to stop slavery and let people know that it is against all rules and human rights to enslave others. At the National Convention, Henry Highland Garnet tried to convince the Southern slaves to refuse to work, come to their masters, and demand to give them freedom and equality. In that speech, by also calling the U.S. slaves to use force and resist the oppressors if needed, Garnet demonstrated that slaves are not weak but discriminated people who are ready to take their freedom and rights back. They should no longer weep over their unhappy condition and sympathize with each other; it is time to stop hoping for the bright future and start approaching it right away. Since the first Black people came to the U.S. and got enslaved, African Americans forgot about liberty and were made broken-hearted, hopeless, and foolish. The Church did not interfere with the slavery establishment, so the slaves were left alone in their grief. However, in his speech, Garnet proclaimed the time to start fighting for justice and freedom for the sake of past and future generations. This speech is indeed an essential step in eliminating slavery in the U.S.