Harriet Jacobs & Peter Cartwright Term Paper

Though Cartwright's concern and opposition to slavery was evident in his "Autobiography," an important observation that must be noted in studying his text was that his opposition was not mainly based on the detriments that slavery had on the slaves themselves, but only for the white American society. Slavery was a 'moral evil' because it made white Americans more vulnerable to moral degeneration, thereby putting into peril their belief in predestination, where the white American society, particularly the Christians, would be included in God's salvation and grace. Focus, in fact, was addressed towards the white American society, and not so much about the plight of the black slaves. Thus, Cartwright's position reflected the belief that slavery was like a disease that must be curbed, and the moral degeneration associated with the black community be cleansed through conversion to Christianity.

From these different viewpoints expressed by Jacobs and Cartwright, readers on black slavery in the 19th century were given two perspectives wherein it was illustrated through a slave's and a preacher's the detriment that slavery caused to the moral fiber of American society -- the black community for Jacobs, and the white community for Cartwright.

Bibliography

Cartwright, P. (1856). Autobiography of Peter Cartwright, Backwoods Preacher. NY: Carlton & Porter.

Jacobs, H. (1861). Incidents in the life of a slave girl. Boston: University of North Carolina…