Before the Civil War, slavery was practiced in the United States. A great majority of these slaves were treated badly and with no respect. The article "The Slaves are put in stalls like cattle," is a story that James Martin, tells. This article is one that is most typical if the other slaves that lived during this time. Martin was born on a plantation in Virginia in 1847. Like most slaves, he was born into slavery. Martin describes that during auction time, the slaves are "put in stalls like the pens they use for cattle." There is a sheet that covers the front og the stall so that the bidders wouldn't be able to see the "stock." The overseer has a whip and a gun just in case any of the slaves got out of line. This was very typical of what the auction was like during this time. They were treated like animals and had to stand in front of people against will. These human beings were put in front of bidders as if they were on display at a zoo. The overseer calls these people "bucks" and "wenches." As you can see, these people were treated with total disrespect. They were treated as if they were animals that were on display for people to see. The slaves must have been so embarrassed that they would let someone treat them like this. They must have feared for their lives every day. Inside these stalls there was a man, his wife and child. It is most likely that, that would be the last time that family would be together. They will probably never see each other again. This happened to slaves everywhere. They were taken away from their families and forced to leave their loved ones. The white people had absolutely no respect for these people. They would call them names, and look at them as if they were animals that were being sold to the highest bidder. These African Americans were not treated as human beings but treated as "merchandise" that can be bought at any cost. These men, women, and children were treated as "stock" and they were pushed around in such a harsh manner.
