Slavery's Destructive Effect on Women, Both Free and Slave: An Essay on Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

In his annual message to Congress on December 1, 1862, Abraham Lincoln commented, “In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free- honorable alike in what we give and what we preserve.” Abraham Lincoln is historically known as one of the greatest presidents in American history primarily because of his success in the abolition of slavery. This comment to Congress shows that Lincoln understood that slavery was not good for anyone in America. Slaves were counted as less than a whole person for purposes of state representation, yet slavery dehumanized more than just the slaves. In a slave system, all suffer. Perhaps the saddest of all, it is the women who suffered the most. Through the characters of Linda Brent and Mrs. Flint in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Harriet Jacobs shows how slavery dehumanizes women, both white and black. 

Slavery dehumanizes black women by robbing them of the ability to fulfill their basic human needs and instincts. Through the sexual harassment and abuse of white male owners, they lose their dignity, while oppressive laws and social attitudes prevent them from marrying and having normal families. If they bear children, they suffer through not being able to protect their children from the evils of slavery.