The 13th Amendment - The end of slavery?

 The 13th Amendment was passed by Congress on January 31, 1865. 

This amendment states that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." Although this meant that all slaves were freed from ownership, this did not mean they were granted citizenship. They were denied basic freedoms and struggled against racist laws. Newly freed African Americans couldn't vote, weren't allowed in schools, and were denied most housing. Jim Crow laws segregated blacks in all public places in previously confederate states. All of problems for "free" black people caused much violence and death against them. The 13th amendment didn't create freedom for African Americans, it just ended TRADITIONAL slavery.

Despite all of this new change going all around, the question on most southern landowners' minds is, "Who is going to work in our fields now?". The answer to that question and southern plantation owners' saving grace was IMMIGRANT WORKERS. Specifically, "coolie" workers who could work the same jobs as the previous slaves through kidnapping, trafficking, and exploitation. 

What is a "Coolie"?
A "coolie" is an offensive and dated term to describe an unskilled immigrant worker from Asia (including India, China, and more countries). These workers were used during the transition of slave labor to free labor during America's reconstruction period after slavery was abolished. They were also used in Cuba, Spain, and other countries as well. "Between 1847 and 1874, about 125, 000 Chinese men were taken to Havana through a transnational mass-migration business venture, to work mostly on sugar cane plantations, providing reinforcements to African labor while slavery was being "gradually abolished."(Gines-Blasi 3) The trafficking of these laborers was known as the "coolie trade" as was similar to the chattel slavery trade. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Introduction of "Coolie" Labor in the South

Image
Cuba has had a relationship with southern states before and after the Civil War. With these strong ties introduced the ideas of Asian workers to Louisiana to white men who had traveled and visited between the US and Cuba. These ideas were implemented into American agriculture work soon before the abolishment of slavery.  Colorism and Racism for workers These Asian workers were viewed as "in between" white and black people. They were not African Americans who faced black codes and segregation. They were also not white Americans who were viewed as important in status. In social status, these laborers were viewed as higher than freed slaves and way lower than whites.  Praises were made to these Asian workers about their work efforts and were made to compete against Black workers.  "Journalist Whitelaw Reid reported that he had heard...'We can drive the n----- out and import coolies that work better, at less expense, and relieve us from this cursed n----- impudence.'
Read more

The trip from Asia to America

Image
 Crimping- The Practice of kidnapping or entrapping people into serving as sailors through deceptive techniques. Chinese Crimps were paid for each Asian migrant they transported. They would deceive workers into thinking they would receive a fair paying job in America and receive many benefits. They would lie and fake promises to recruit workers. When they were desperate, they would also torture, kidnap, or bind them to debt in order to get workers to agree. The journey to America was done by ship over treacherous waters. The workers on board were mistreated resulting in high deathrate. The method of transportation is said to have been similar to African slavery transportation methods. Overcrowded boats, disease, and shackled to be kept under control. "Chinese emigrants were transported in overcrowded vessels and dehumanizing settings, where the average death rates on board were high- twenty-five or thirty percent , and sixteen percent for Cuba."(Ginese-Blasi 3) Image of Chine
Read more