Stanley M. Elkins, in Slavery: A Problem in American Institutional and Intellectual Life, examines the origins of slavery in the United States, related to freedom and authority, and the creation of what he refers to as the "Sambo" as a type of slave personality. The question of the role of "freedom" in the establishment of the brutal system of American slavery must be qualified. The freedom referred has nothing to do with democratic freedom, and everything to do with the unbridled freedom of capitalism to flourish without regard to the rights or even the humanity of the slaves. The rich, white slaveholders were certainly exercised their own democratic freedom, but the fact that slavery accompanied such freedom must call into question any claim that the United States was indeed democratic while slavery endured. Of course, the freedom of the slaves themselves is also not an issue, for they had no freedom whatsoever.
The authority of the slaveowner over the slave was a development of economics rather than politics. The overriding consideration, then, was the financial desire of the slaveowners, and when that desire came into conflict with the rights of slaves--even their right not to be murdered--the economic desire of the slaveowner prevailed. In order to ensure the unhindered development of the economic system which depended on slavery, democratic principles were simply irrelevant. At every point, Elkins makes convincingly clear, the slaveowner's authority over the slave was considered sacrosanct and not to be threatened by laws, politics, or even any religious or moral considerations.
On the preceding points, Elkins' arguments seem thoroughly supported by the historical records. With respect to the Samboization of the slaves, there is greater room for debate, and, in fact, as Elkins makes clear in additions to his earlier edition of the book, his arguments about "Sambo" drew the most criticism from his detractors. Elkins' arg...