Adam Huseinovic
AFAM 2100
9 February 2017
Professor Young

What I Know About the Civil War

The discussion in class really opened my eyes to what the Civil War was actually fought over.  Throughout high school American history was always taken very serious, and I thought my school did a good job of covering the material, and making things well understood.  Although, during our discussion I realized the Civil War was far more than what I thought it was.  My eyes were opened to the reality of why the Civil War was so important to the northern states. 

What I learned was that the Civil War was fought over slavery, and the equality of whites and blacks.  Mainly the idea instilled in my head was that the north did not agree with slavery and the south was willing to do whatever it took to keep slavery.  This was true to an extent.  I was taught that Abraham Lincoln was all about blacks being equal to whites.  The north did want to abolish slavery, and they were opposed to the succession of the south.

What I learned in class was that the Civil War was fought for reasons that had nothing to do with slavery, and the idea of “equality” was used by the north to sell the idea of fighting for freedom to the blacks.  The north could not handle the fact that slavery rising in the south was leading the south to becoming an economic powerhouse.  The north, which involved the president and congress, realized the money being made in the south and tried to impose taxes.  The south grew angry and decided to succeed from the union.  Essentially the succession did start the war, but there was so called, “behind the scenes” actions that slowly progressed into the beginning of the war.  What also shocked me was the fact that Abraham Lincoln did not see blacks as equal to whites, and he is even on record saying so. 

I feel as though the thoughts and ideas of the country then, translate into what is happening now.  We still see wars being started over economic and racial issues.  The difference between what I was taught in high school and what I am learning in class now is truly shocking. 

Adam Huseinovic
AFAM 2100
Professor Young
6 February 2017

The Process by Which Slavery Increased 

     After the Civil War, slavery was considered illegal… technically.  So in a sense slavery was no longer existent, free labor of African Americans was no longer a thing in the south.  Well let us just say that there was a big loophole in the system that actually labeled slavery as illegal.  This is where the term convict leasing is born.  Free labor performed by a convicted criminal was considered perfectly legal, in fact the idea was endorsed throughout the public.  Confession judgments and convict leasing continued the rise of slavery, but in a different approach that made it seem like these convicts were paying back debt that was owed. 

     In weird words, convict leasing was simplistically complex.  In simple words, the accused person was tried (most likely unfairly) was given fines and other expenses of the court that were not payable.  In pretty much every case the defendant was an African American, as whites were given less serious punishment, which was usually affordable to them.  So in the case where the defendant could not afford the penalty farmers, or other entrepreneurs would pay these fees and the convict would pretty much be in debt to the man who paid the fines.  So technically speaking they were only paying off debt, not working for free.  Realistically speaking the slavery process just became a tad bit more difficult. 

     Douglass A. Blackmon states in Slavery by Another Name, “the man who had plowed the fields and picked the cotton or corn might never actually see hard currency. His debts, payments, and profit or loss were recorded only in the ledgers of the store.”  Every dollar that was supposed to be given to a convict was unseen, essentially it went straight into the pockets of the loaner. 

     This was like a game to the whites.  Sheriffs and other officials were paid to make arrests, and witnesses were paid to “see” whatever needed to be seen.  Blackmon also states, “In most southern states, county sheriffs and their deputies received no regular salaries. Instead, the law enforcement officers, justices of the peace, certain court officials, and any witnesses who testified against a defendant were compensated primarily from specific fees charged to those who voluntarily or involuntarily came into the court system.”  Convict leasing was a strategy used to fill the pockets of entrepreneurs and oppress black further into a legal way of slavery. 

     It all starts with the absurd laws placed against blacks in this time period.  These laws lead to arrests, which lead to confession judgments, which essentially led to convict leasing.  Everyone played a part in the cycle, the sheriffs, witnesses, officials, and business owners.  Convict leasing was something that made “slavery” legal again.  It was a loophole created to keep the progression of slavery.