Black Slavery among the Cherokee Indians Essay

Despite the great attention that Black slavery are getting from different groups and individuals, the plight remains as there are some aspects that need to be further scrutinized and observed. Based on available literature, the slavery on Black tribes has been given only given a limited attention and that there has been a very low awareness that there exists slavery in the tribes of the Blacks Americans, including the Cherokee Indians. Southern histories which are supposed to retell the stories of Southern Americans do not provide a clear understanding and a vivid account on the slavery Cherokee nation. There are no available accounts of the complete history of the Cherokees and if there is, it only provides a little space for the discussion of the Cherokees—but nothing substantive, really. The Cherokees are said to be slave owners and regard themselves as a superior tribe. But despite their being slave owners, they treat their slave humanely unlike their white counterparts. The book Red over Black: Black Slavery among the Cherokee Indians written by R. Halliburton Jr. basically revolves around this idea and unmasks the unknown facts of slavery in Cherokee Indians. revolves around this issue The author exposed the different aspects of slavery in Cherokees and appears to have exhausted the literature available with regards to the Indian Cherokees. The author made use of historical accounts to present factual thoughts on Indian Cherokee slavery. The book is written in outline form so as to provide the readers a chronological narrative of the facts and data about the Indian Cherokee slavery. The book is written in detail as the author employed a descriptive and narrative style to provide a clearer scenario of what he is trying to relate to his readers. The author presented his perspective in the issue on slavery of Indian Cherokees—or Indians in general. The author related that Indian Cherokees give benefits to their slaves. They even provide training for the development of their slaves. Their slaves are even hired to serve as carpenters, gardeners or other works that they deem in line with the slave’s capacities. After a while, these slaves would be eventually set free. Perhaps, the intended audience of the author is the general public who has little knowledge on the culture and history of Black slavery particularly on the side of the Cherokees. The book could serve as a tool for realization of the intended audience to what the Indian Cherokees has to offer. The book offers a different perspective on slavery. The usual accounts of literature would project slavery as one extremely negative thing—the scenario that slaves are always overworked and unpaid. The book also breaks the stereotypes among Black Americans or Indians. The blacks are always depicted as inferior and powerless, but this book did otherwise. The book, I think, succeeded in persuading me in the thesis presented. Through the author’s analytical narratives and description, he was able to present his points and ideas clearly and effectively. Generally, the book is commendable in its effort to unmask the unexplored part of the American history. It is an attempt in breaking the stereotype of the inferiority of the Blacks. More so, it is an excellent source in presenting another perspective of the American history while upholding the empowerment of the Black Americans. The author, R. Halliburton Jr. , is an author of a number of books pertaining to Black Americans. The usual themes of his book are the discrimination and interesting facts addressing the social plight of the Black Americans. Reference: Halliburton, R. Red over Black: Black Slavery among the Cherokee Indians. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1977.