American Negro slave revolts

According to Marcum and Skarbek (2014), the slavery period in the United States occurred from the 16th to the 19th century. During the American Revolution, slavery had become a part of the nation’s foundation. Although the number of slaves was small during this era, they were present in almost all the regions in the United States. Weiner (2001) notes that the American slavery system was a struggle between the white masters and the Negro slaves.

The masters tried to impose their authority on the slaves, while the slaves fought to be independent. In addition, Marcum and Skarbek (2014) note that the white masters were determined to strip the slaves of their dignity and social standing. The slaves were recognized as ‘socially dead’ and were not allowed to belong to any standard society. Prior to the ratification of the constitution, many states in the North attempted to introduce legislation to abolish slavery. However, slavery continued to be part of the social norms in the South. The slave population had increased drastically by the beginning of the Civil War.

This period was characterized by slave revolutions, and the end of the slave trade did not stop the Americans from smuggling the slaves into the country. Aptheker (1976) wrote a book titled American Negro slave revolts analyzing the slave rebellions that affected the United States for over two centuries. In the book, Aptheker (1976) attempts to dismiss the belief that the American Negro’s rebellion was characterized by inactiveness and compliance. Moreover, Aptheker (1976) disapproves of the notion that the Negro slaves were treated well by the white masters. The aim of the current research is to review the book American Negro slave revolts and assess Aptheker’s main arguments. In addition, the essay will assess the researcher’s opinion on the impact of slavery in modern American