Module 6: Racism Prevails

Slavery was rather disparate between the North and South. There were more free blacks in the North, while the South held more slaves. In the North, the free blacks were more relentless and persistent in abolishing slavery especially with the support of white abolitionists. In the South, however, antislavery was a bit more reserved, with perhaps a few oppositions here and there; and yet, there were enough troubles to stir up fear of rebellion. With the North against the expansion of slavery in South, their disparities provoked dissatisfaction between the different regions and lead to the Civil War. Although they had their differences, especially with the South being proslavery, racism was prevalent and just as cruel in both the North and South.

In Chapter 9: Slavery Without Submission, Emancipation Without Freedom, Zinn mentioned that the slavery system in the South was very intricate and secure. The South seemed very determine to keep their slaves working because there was a lot of cotton being produced in the south. It was a time of greed because everyone wanted to profit as much as they could. Apparently owning slaves to work on plantations deemed appropriate and profitable, especially to those that lived in the South. According to Eric Foner, “others argued that slavery was essential to human progress.” Unfortunately, some people believed that in order to prosper and progress, slavery would be the answer. The slaves would work, while planters who own plantations would never have to do any labor at all. While the slaves worked to death, the planters reaped all the rewards and profits without having to lift a finger.



Slaves working in cotton fields.


It certainly seemed as if the North was entirely against slavery, but “racism in the North was as entrenched as slavery in the South.” (Zinn 141) It was perhaps like how Wendell Phillips described it: “Not an Abolitionist, hardly an antislavery man, Mr. Lincoln consents to represent an antislavery idea. A pawn on the political chessboard, his value is in his position; with fair effort…” Abraham Lincoln “opposed slavery, but could not see blacks as equals, so a constant theme in his approach was to free the slaves and send them back to Africa.” (Zinn 140) Lincoln’s attitude toward African American was very reflective of the people in the North because the people in the north were supposedly against slavery, but when it came to certain situations, the northern people still discriminated and looked down upon the blacks. During the Civil War, “black soldiers were used for the heaviest and dirtiest work, digging trenches, hauling logs and cannon loading ammunition, digging wells for the white regiments.” (Zinn 144) The African American soldiers even got three dollars less than the white soldiers, until Congress passed a law granting equal pay. While the North was abolishing slavery, they were discriminating toward the blacks. The South, on the other hand, held their ground with continuing slavery until the Civil War ended.

One would imagine that with the end of the Civil War, there would be peace amongst the people; unfortunately, “violence began almost immediately with the end of the war.” (Zinn 150) Between the 1860s to the 1870s, there were massive murders, organized raids, lynching, beatings, and burnings of African Americans. The Civil War may have freed the slaves and eliminated the disparities between the North and the South, but it certainly did not end the racial discrimination; therefore one can say that racism prevails.


A black woman lynched. Upon closer look, this woman was married (her left ring finger still has a ring). She was a wife and perhaps a mother that was lost to racism.