Slavery Terms and Reference Items

The study of American history, particularly the era surrounding slavery and the Civil War, requires a nuanced understanding of the language used at the time. Certain terms carry specific connotations that may not be immediately apparent to modern readers, while others have faded from common usage altogether. This article serves as a glossary, defining key terms and concepts related to the institution of slavery in the United States, offering insights into their historical context and significance. Examining these slavery terms is crucial for comprehending the complexities of this period.

It is important to note that many of these terms, while essential for historical accuracy, can be sensitive and evoke painful memories. Their inclusion here is for educational purposes, aiming to foster a deeper understanding of the realities of slavery and its enduring legacy. As we delve into these slavery terms, we must approach the subject matter with respect and awareness.

Key Terms and Concepts:

• 13th Amendment: Ratified on December 6, 1865, this pivotal amendment to the U.S. Constitution formally and irrevocably abolished slavery throughout the United States. It declared that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." The passage of the 13th Amendment marked a monumental turning point in American history, officially ending the legal basis for the enslavement of African Americans. Understanding the 13th Amendment is essential when studying slavery terms.

• Abolitionist: An individual who actively advocated for the complete and immediate end to slavery. Unlike those who simply held anti-slavery sentiments, abolitionists were politically engaged, often participating in movements and organizations dedicated to achieving abolition. Their activism took various forms, from assisting freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad to engaging in public discourse and political lobbying. Figures like Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth were prominent abolitionists. The role of abolitionists is key to understanding slavery terms.

• African Diaspora: This term refers to the widespread dispersal of African peoples across the globe, primarily as a result of the transatlantic slave trade. Millions of Africans were forcibly removed from their homelands and transported to the Americas, where they were subjected to enslavement and exploitation. The African Diaspora had a profound and lasting impact on both the African continent and the societies to which enslaved Africans were brought, shaping cultural, economic, and social landscapes.

• Anti-slavery Activist: A person who opposed slavery on moral, ethical, or political grounds. This individual might have occasionally helped a freedom seeker, held anti-slavery beliefs, and could come from any ethnic, political, or religious group.

• Bleeding Kansas: This evocative term describes a period of intense violence and political turmoil in the Kansas Territory between 1854 and 1861. The conflict arose from the question of whether Kansas would enter the Union as a free state or a slave state. Pro-slavery forces from Missouri, known as "Border Ruffians," clashed with anti-slavery "Free-Staters," leading to bloodshed and instability. The term "Bleeding Kansas" was coined by Horace Greeley and foreshadowed the larger conflict of the Civil War.

• Bondsperson: This term served as an alternative to "slave," often preferred because "bondsman" implied a condition imposed by law. It acknowledged the legal framework that upheld slavery while subtly distancing itself from the dehumanizing connotations of the word "slave." The use of "bondsperson" highlights the legal complexities surrounding slavery.

• Chattel: This term reduces an enslaved African American to the status of personal property, equating them to livestock, furniture, or other tangible possessions. A "chattel" could be bought, sold, inherited, or transferred without the enslaved person’s consent or agency. This dehumanizing categorization underscores the brutal reality of slavery as a system of ownership and control.

• Coffle: A group of enslaved people chained or tied together and transported for sale, often over long distances. These forced marches were brutal and dehumanizing experiences, marked by hardship, suffering, and the constant threat of violence. Coffles represented the commodification of human beings within the slave system.

• Conductor: An individual who guided and assisted freedom seekers along the Underground Railroad. Conductors provided safe passage between "stations" or safe houses, offering food, shelter, and protection to those fleeing slavery. Figures like Harriet Tubman are renowned for their courageous work as conductors.

• Contrabands: This term emerged during the Civil War to describe enslaved people who escaped to Union lines or were captured by Union forces. Union General Benjamin Butler initially coined the term "contraband of war" to justify not returning these individuals to their enslavers, arguing that they were property being used to support the Confederacy. This designation paved the way for the eventual emancipation of enslaved people during the war.

• Copperhead: This was a derogatory term for a Peace Democrat.

• Emancipation: The act of freeing enslaved people, either through legal means or by force. Emancipation could be gradual or immediate, and it often involved varying degrees of freedom and rights for formerly enslaved people. The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, was a landmark event in the history of emancipation in the United States.

• Fugitive: A term used to describe a person who has escaped from slavery and is seeking freedom. The term carries legal weight, particularly in the context of the Fugitive Slave Acts, which mandated the return of escaped enslaved people to their enslavers. The use of the word "fugitive" reinforces the legal framework that upheld slavery.

• Gin: A machine that separates cotton fibers from their seeds, greatly increasing the efficiency of cotton production. The invention of the cotton gin in the late 18th century led to a surge in cotton cultivation in the South, which in turn fueled the demand for enslaved labor.

• Gradual Emancipation: A policy of gradually ending slavery over a period of time, often through measures such as freeing enslaved people when they reached a certain age or after a specified number of years of service. Gradual emancipation was seen as a less disruptive alternative to immediate abolition, but it was often criticized for prolonging the institution of slavery.

• Manumit/Manumission: The act of freeing an individual enslaved person by their enslaver. Manumission could be granted through a will, by purchase, or through a legal petition. Enslaved people would save up from jobs for hire or sale of goods for their manumission.

• Maroon: Runaway enslaved people who formed independent communities in remote areas, such as swamps, forests, or mountains. Maroon communities offered refuge and resistance to slavery, and they often played a role in assisting other freedom seekers.

• Middle Passage: The brutal and inhumane journey across the Atlantic Ocean that enslaved Africans were forced to endure during the transatlantic slave trade. Enslaved people were packed tightly into the holds of ships, subjected to disease, starvation, and violence. The Middle Passage resulted in the deaths of millions of Africans.

• Operative: An accomplice who helps an escaped slave. He or she may help arrange an escape, serve as a “conductor,” or otherwise aid in the escape.

• Peace Democrat: A member of the Democratic Party who advocated for a negotiated settlement with the Confederacy during the Civil War. Peace Democrats were often critical of the Union war effort and were sometimes accused of sympathizing with the Confederacy. The negative term “Copperhead” (after the poisonous snake) was applied to both Peace Democrats and Confederate sympathizers in the North, even though the two groups were usually distinct.

• Personal Liberty Laws: Laws enacted by several Northern states in response to the Fugitive Slave Acts. These laws aimed to protect freedom seekers and free African Americans from being unjustly seized and returned to slavery. Personal Liberty Laws often included provisions such as requiring a jury trial before an individual could be declared a fugitive slave.

• Radical Democracy: A short-lived political party in 1864, composed of a small group of Radical Republicans and War Democrats.

• Radical Republican: A member of the Republican Party who advocated for a more aggressive and transformative approach to Reconstruction after the Civil War. Radical Republicans believed that the former Confederate states should be held accountable for their actions and that African Americans should be granted full civil and political rights.

• Reconstruction: The period after the Civil War during which the United States attempted to rebuild and reintegrate the former Confederate states into the Union. Reconstruction involved efforts to establish new governments in the South, protect the rights of African Americans, and address the economic and social consequences of slavery.

• Redemption: Referred to those enslaved African Americans who were purchased by others to free them. The idea is that the people were “redeemed” from slavery.

• Secession: The act of formally withdrawing from a political union. In 1860 and 1861, eleven Southern states seceded from the United States, leading to the outbreak of the Civil War.

• Slave/Enslaved: A person held in bondage and forced to perform labor or services against their will. Slavery was a brutal and dehumanizing system that denied enslaved people their basic human rights and subjected them to violence, exploitation, and oppression.

• Slave Patrol: Armed groups formed to police enslaved populations, prevent runaways, and enforce slave codes. Slave patrols were often composed of white men from various social classes, and they had the authority to search slave quarters, demand passes from African Americans, and inflict punishment on those who violated the law.

• Station: A safe house or hiding place along the Underground Railroad, where freedom seekers could rest, receive food and shelter, and prepare for the next leg of their journey. Stations were typically operated by abolitionists or sympathetic individuals who risked their own safety to help enslaved people escape to freedom.

• Stationmaster: The individual who operated a station on the Underground Railroad, providing shelter, food, and assistance to freedom seekers. Stationmasters played a crucial role in the success of the Underground Railroad.

• Term Slavery: A system of slavery in which enslaved people were held for a fixed period of time, after which they would be freed. Term slavery was less common than chattel slavery, but it existed in some parts of the United States, particularly in the North.

• War Democrat: A member of the Democratic Party who supported the Union war effort during the Civil War. War Democrats generally favored preserving the Union but were not necessarily opposed to slavery.

• War Powers: Extraordinary governing authority during a national crisis that may be exercised by the commander-in-chief, who under the United States Constitution is the president.

Understanding these slavery terms provides a crucial lens through which to examine the history of slavery in the United States. By grasping the nuances of the language used during this era, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the complexities of the institution and its lasting impact on American society.

Also See:

• African American History in the United States
• African-Americans – From Slavery to Equality
• The Civil War
• Slavery in the United States

This glossary provides a starting point for further exploration of this important topic. Continued research and critical engagement with historical sources are essential for a comprehensive understanding of slavery and its enduring legacy.