"Southern women often marry a man knowing that he is the father of many little slaves. They do not trouble themselves about it"
- Harriet Ann Jacobs
About this Quote
This quote by Harriet Ann Jacobs speaks with the reality of the organization of slavery in the American South. It highlights the reality that many Southern women married males who were currently the owners of servants, and that they did not concern or challenge this reality. This quote speaks with the power characteristics of the time, where females had little to no say in the matter of slavery, and were expected to accept it as a part of their lives. It also speaks with the power of the institution of slavery, which was so deeply entrenched in Southern society that it was accepted without question. This quote works as a tip of the oppressions of slavery and the powerlessness of those who were impacted by it.
"Children that are raised in a home with a married mother and father consistently do better in every measure of well-being than their peers who come from divorced or step-parent, single-parent, cohabiting homes"