Ain't I a Woman?: Mudsill Speech 1858

    Ain't I a Woman?: Mudsill Speech 1858

      On the other side of the fence, we have James Henry Hammond, devoted slavery proponent, and his Mudsill Speech.

      This terrifying speech of pseudo-philosophy and pseudo-psychology flatly stated that society can only function if there is a lower class (read: slaves) for the upper class (read: white people) to build upon for progress.

      Somehow, the slave class was considered "willing" to have their backs broken for the sake of making cotton barons rich, and any claims for racial equality should be considered abnormal and anarchic. Yeah, apparently Sojourner Truth and her points in "Ain't I a Woman?" were dangerously radical and needed to be kept down.

      The scariest thing is that he wasn't the only one pontificating on the ethical application of slavery.