History

Following the events of the divisive Civil War that took place in the US in the years 1861 to 1865, the United States was faced with a great challenge of reconstructing the nation including the South, the relationship between the states, and the federal government. The civil war was sparked by the opposing views on slavery with the North advocating for limiting the spread andor removal of the institution altogether whereas the South advocating for expansion and maintenance of the slavery. It is therefore important to observe that dignity of labor was at the center-stage both before the Civil War and during the period of Reconstruction in the American history.

This paper will explore the perspectives given to the notion of free labor by the Northern political leaders, enslaved persons in the South, and free blacks in the North or South.

Slavery
Slavery was introduced in the US during the development of territorial colonies in what was then known as indentured servants that saw many Africans and poor whites working as indentured servants. Under this system, the contract binding the indentured servants would be terminated after about four to seven years and the victims set free. Upon being freed, the victims would then be legitimized to own property and become traders. Slave labor was needed since it was cheap and in high demand for driving the economy. In the South, slaves labored as manual workers in the plantations, docks, servants, and at times they engaged in crafts. In the North, slaves worked in small farms, and provided the factories with skilled and unskilled services. They also engaged in shipbuilding, fishing, helping tradesmen, and as craftsmen. It is therefore clear that slaves were assigned what were considered menial and demeaning jobs whereas the whites and the free who were the slave owners were privileged as property owners and occupied honorable jobs such as tradesmen, elective official jobs, among others (Delaney, Para 2).

Northern Political Leaders and Free Labor
The Northern political culture was always anti-slavery and therefore advocated for the dignity of labor through free labor. The Republicans campaigned on the platform of free labor which reflected the dynamic expanding capitalist society in the North. The political anti-slavery can be seen as direct onslaught on the slavery South of the 1850s-60s. The Republican orators of the time observed that the rapid economic development of the North could be attributed to the free labor. The Republicans found a unifying factor in then glorification of labor amid divisions between the various factions on other political matters and economy. There was a eulogy on labor and the laboring man from all the speakers. The free labor concept can be derived from the Max Webers observation Protestant ethics and the rise of capitalism (Foner, p 11).

Enslaved persons in the South and Free Labor
Enslavement has been described as a dehumanizing and painful experience. In the South, enslavement was the order of the day and in fact those in authority would not heed to cries to abolish the practice. The south had major plantations and slaves were significant in the provision of cheap andor unpaid labor to farms. The slaves in the South were responsible for the clearing forests and draining swamps to make the land ready for cultivation. It has been argued that between 1770 and 1860, slave population in the South had exploded by well over six times to stand at 3,953,760 from 697,897. Of this staggering number, 75 were agricultural laborers (Murray, Para 4). Enslavement meant that the slaves had no choice as they were forced to labor in the plantations under very stringent conditions. There was no dignity of labor as experienced by the free men.

Free Blacks in the North or South and Free Labor
Those individuals who were free in the North and the South enjoyed the dignity of labor as they were exposed to some freedoms relative to their racial orientations. The South had a considerable number of free blacks who exercised limited freedoms. This population resided in the cities and was governed by what can be referred to as Black Laws. The laws were discriminatory to ensure that the free blacks could not access good jobs and they found themselves tied to the menial jobs. On the contrary, free men in the North continued to prosper as they enjoyed unprecedented freedom leading to the production of their own professionals as doctors and lawyers. In the North dignity of labor was observed as opposed to the South which was concerned with the preservation of slavery institution (Murray, Para 14).

Conclusion
The concept of Free Labor, Free Soil, and Free Men propounded by Foner in his book as the ideology of the Republicans long before the Civil War has given a new impetus to the dignity of labor. Enslavement is the harsh reality of forced labor and this started long before the Civil War era. The South wanted to retain the status quo whereas the North was swift in adopting new policies that worked towards the elimination of the vice. Nevertheless, Civil War opened the door for the Reconstruction which aimed at restoring dignity of labor somehow.