Town Hall meeting Review

 During the town hall meeting, I was intrigued to hear what each side had to say. Some arguments I never would have thought of before.

Almost all of the Pro-Slavery arguments had similar styles and ways of thinking. A lot of the arguments revolved around the economic values of slaves but what I found most surprising about pro-slavery arguments is that they never said they treated their slaves badly.

 

Jefferson Davis

One of the more common arguments of this nature is with Jefferson Davis and George Washington. Both men said that they did not treat their slaves in a negative way. Jefferson Davis even mentioned that he often got their slave's teeth checked and made sure they were in peak health. George Washington said that his slaves received food and shelter and stated that he did not discriminate who was and wasn’t a slave.

 

Two names and arguments that also stuck out to me were Pro-Slavery activists George Fitzhugh and Daniel Webster. Fitzhugh had a unique argument, saying that slaves were incapable of surviving on their own and that slavery was a way for them to survive. Daniel Webster argued that Slave states should remain slave states and free states should remain slave states. Another unique argument as he wants states to decide what is best rather than the people. He also argues that slaves who have escaped to the North should be brought back to the person they were enslaved by.

 

John Brown

I believe that the best and most intriguing argument I heard was from John Brown. John Brown argued that all slave owners were cowards. Brown also wanted to start a slave revolution. Knowing a little bit
about him I believe that he is completely serious, but I also believe that he isn’t right in the head. One of the other things he did was capture some slave owners and kill them. He was later sentenced to death. Definitely one of the more interesting people in today's debate.