Takaki-Chapter 3

The thesis of this Chapter seems much like the one of Zinn’s chapter 2 “Drawling the Color Line.” In both chapters the author explains that in the beginning the black slaves and the white servants were working together to gain freedom, however, the rich white feared revolt from the work force so they gave stricter punishments to the blacks then were given to the white servants. The rich and powerful also tailored the laws to be unfair to the blacks and to give the whites more power. When the white were given more rights they could separate themselves from their African counter-parts.

Tataki’s main argument seemed to be that slavery was invented to keep control of the Africans. Tataki quotes a historian that says “the status of Negroes was that of indentured servants and so they were identified and treated.” I think Tataki uses this quote to show us that Africans were not brought here to just be slaves that at one point in time blacks were on the same social level as white servants. That it was only when the wealthy whites feared revolt that the differences in race was made.

Tataki’s chapter is a very interesting piece the historical documents and quotes from both historians and people of the time really bring this information to life. This chapter is much like Zinn’s in many ways and they were both well put together pieces. The information was well organized and the source material was well placed throughout the chapter.

I think this chapter was very good. I was familiar with the ideas because they were similar to the ones in Zinn’s chapter 2. Although there was little new or shocking that Tataki had to say on the subject that Zinn had already brought to my attention, I think it was good to read both chapters because now it is even less likely that this is an isolated theory. It is more fact now that I have read two author’s accounts of it.