With this and other research done by Stampp, we can clearly see through his eyes how slaves viewed themselves; my opinions are corresponding with his for the examples given.
Overall, Stampp offers a perspective inherent of the traditional textbook, but still maintains a unique frame of reference. He primarily keeps he uniqueness through his approach of giving a variety of perspectives and by his in-depth analysis of slave behavior. While holding a high level of academic value, areas Stampp could improve on include the variety of where he is quoting and the concentration of examples moving from primarily rare to common occurrences. In contrast, his work excels in the quality of analysis about the day-to-day behaviors and attitudes of slaves, in addition to berating the atrocities that accompany slavery with well defended and beautifully executed arguments.
Additional to Stampp in writing papers on slavery in the South during the 1800's is Fogel and Engerman. Their reading primarily focuses on the economic standpoint of slavery, and through that a principal argument they have is how slavery was not as bad for the slaves as we are made to believe. "There were daily as well as weekly races, with prizes offered to the winning team and to the leading individual picker. There were daily weigh-ins of the cotton picked, and those who did not respond to the positive incentive had to face the abuse."" (Fogel and Engerman 314). This quote demonstrates the authors' opinion of how slaves were well treated and those who were not had only themselves to blame.
Another opinion that persisted throughout the reading was that Fogel and Engerman discussed how they felt that the modern idea of what slavery was like is false and ironic. "What bitter irony it is that the false stereotype of black labor, a stereotype which still plagues blacks today, was fashioned not primarily by the oppressors who strove to keep their chattel wrapped in the chains of bondage, but by the most ardent opponents of slavery, by those who worked most diligently to destroy the chains of bondage" " (Fogel and Engerman 319).
