Northern Slaves: Were They Free? (Crevecoeur)

The author of “Letters from an American Farmer” tells the view of a farmer James and his relationship with slavery. Although a tricky subject, he is able to convey his ideas of slavery with the overall message of an anti-slavery stance. Identifying himself with such people as an anti-slavery minister whom does not condone the practice and preaches against it, but is ultimately rejected by his southern community.

Yet, the writer of these letters has slaves himself. One could not help but wonder why a man of his character and stance on the subject would have slaves of his own. Although he makes it clear that he is behind the movement of emancipation of the slaves, he has a notion that northern slaves are justifiable for the time being. “I hope time draws near when they will be all emancipated: but how different their lot, how different their situation, in every possible respect!” (111). Since northern slaves have been treated with much more humanity, it cannot be considered to be the same as southern slavery. Northern slaves are much different than southern slaves in many respects, but both are slaves nonetheless. Going on to tell how northern slaves are “fat, healthy, and hearty, and far from repining at their fate.”(111), and even stating that they may even be more free than their masters because they reap the benefits of their society but are free from bearing it’s burdens. To an outside party, this notion would be absurd because in all actuality they are not truly free like their masters. But, he goes on to explain that history has shown a long history of slave ownership, and that, because of these traits of violence and human cruelty, slavery is inescapable.

He compiles in his ninth letter, a list of reasons on why man has created slavery, the perils of it, but more importantly how in his case it can be justified. But his justification seems more like an excuse, of which may be showing his true character. An intellectual man can convince a man of many things if he words it just right. One would have to question the integrity of his word after this letter and reconsider his first eight letters.

Works Cited:

Osborne, Jeff. "American Antipathy and the Cruelties of Citizenship in Crèvecoeur's Letters from an American Farmer." Early American Literature 42.3 (Nov. 2007): 529-553. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 9 Sep. 2009 .

Saar, Doreen Alvarez. "CREVECOEUR'S 'THOUGHTS ON SLAVERY': LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN FARMER AND WHIG RHETORIC." Early American Literature 22.2 (Sep. 1987): 192. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 9 Sep. 2009 .