The civil war with its effects on the reconstruction period are among the most memorable events in the eradication of slavery, in the US. South America during the 1860s was among the last regions still practicing slavery. Within a decade, they would have to abandon slavery and allow those who had been affected by it to practice free will. DuBois explains how this transition takes place by talking about black reconstruction in America. His approach is based on economic classes where he analyses them during reconstruction and documentation of contemporary records. There was a divide caused by the civil war. The war divided people along racial lines. Black people were not considered as men. This comes out in three theses that were used during that time on Black men. All of them were considered ignorant; they were also considered lazy, dishonest, and extravagant, and finally they were responsible for bad government especially during reconstruction. The civil war was in the interest of slavery for both sides fighting. The North were fighting to keep slavery in the union while the south were fighting to get slavery out of the constitution. The North supported free labour. After this war, most slaves especially in the south were freed. Du Bois provides a guideline on how to assimilate these new citizens into the society and encourage them to take part in building its economy.
Du Bois advocates the rights blacks need to enjoy in the south. They need to possess the right to vote, have the privilege to be treated with equality and justice, and to have a right to good education. The type of education he propose is industrial education for all black men. Classical education is also important so as to come up with leaders in the black community. This improvements ensure the newly freed slaves of America have an opportunity to contribute to the economy of America. The effect, this changes, would empower the former slaves to work more and benefit from the labor they offer to those they work for.
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"DuBois Account in ‘The Souls of Black Folk’".
Polanyi’s Account on The Great Transformation
The Great Transformation talks about political and social disruptions that take place in England as the market economy was rising. Polanyi insists that the modern state and economy should be understood. The changes experienced in this new market include changes in mankind’s mentality. There is a market transformation where people are more economically rational. The coming up of capitalism also affects the decisions they make. He argues that in order for a nation to develop then its modern markets need to develop too.
He is a protagonist for free trade. He suggests that factors of production like land and labour should now be sold in the market at prices defined by the same market. Labour is a ‘fictitious’ commodity being necessary for a self-regulating market system. Labour in the economy should not be controlled by people through forceful labour or even exploiting the weaker in society to provide such labour. His presumption that labour is a commodity was intellectually supported by developments in Economic theory. Labour should not be affected by social or political processes rather be allowed to interact in the market freely setting its price automatically due to demand and supply. He criticized laissez-faire by identifying problems associated with regulating labour by processes that interfere with market supply and demand. The impact this change would have on laborer would be that they would be actually paid for their services and have the freedom to choose to work or not to work. Slaves specifically would benefit from this change.
Conclusion
The two accounts provide a new approach to labour and the eradication of forceful, unpaid labour implemented on slaves during that time. These are revolutionary changes that still serve humanity currently.
