US Slavery. From 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' to Cinematic Representations

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2020 in the subject Politics - Other International Politics Topics, grade: 8.66, University of Bucharest, course: Political Science in English, language: English, abstract: Plenty of things about slavery could be said. A phenomenon that continues to exist today, it's omnipresent. Unfortunately, abolition wasn't the end of slavery or racism. But how is the idea of slavery reflected in the modern society, in the arts, mass-media and advertising? First, I will explain its origin, evolution and effects and continue with the story of the first slaves, namely, how those who broke the law of British metropolis became the first holders of the slavery status, in the deportation land of Virginia. The rise of slavery in the United States, was accompanied at the beginning with the promotion of civil liberties and equalities. The aim of this first chapter of the dissertation, is to present slavery in a historical context, therefore I will do a chronology until the outbreak of the American Independence War (1776). The situation of slaves until the outbreak of the Secession War (1861-1865) is also essential to understand the way American institutions and civil rights had evolved. The 16th US President Abraham Lincoln is a key-symbol of the abolition of slavery and human kindness, a political genius, and a true American value without whom nothing would have been possible, through his memorable speech in 1858, known as Divided House. The consequences of its move are presented and detailed over the written paper. The culture and society of the 19th century had been highly influenced by the conditions of slavery, namely literature and later cinematography. The next chapter will focus on the cultural field. I will describe how the best seller novel of that time Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe led to the Secession War between North and South.