Entry #9 Takaki, Ronald ""The 'Giddy Multitude': The Hidden Origins of Slavery"

Brian Gerker
ETHN 101
Reading Journal Entry #9
9-25-2007

Ronald Takaki “The ‘Giddy Multitude’: The Hidden Origins of Slavery”

In “The ‘Giddy Multitude’: The Hidden Origins of Slavery,” Takaki’s thesis is pointing towards how slavery cam about in America, and the negative effects it would later lead to. He starts by telling the story of Caliban and how slavery all started, and he ends by telling how people like Thomas Jefferson wished slavery to be abolished because of what was coming from the slave populations.
To sum things up in “The ‘Giddy Multitude’: The Hidden Origins of Slavery,” Takaki tells the story of how slavery began in the Americas. He stated that both whites from England and blacks from Africa were used and abused of slave trading ships and brought overseas where they were sold. Takaki also offers details and information on how the slaves were poorly treated under their masters control. Also, examples of punishments were given for misbehaved slaves, and whites that mixed with blacks in any way were severely punished. One big example is the list of “criminals” and their punishment to work for a number of years to work off certain pounds of tobacco. Along with this, the “Giddy Multitude” of people wanted their own land that big land owners would not give them, or not allow them to settle. Free men were also not able to gain land ownership of land they were promised and took anger against it. With all these indentured servants and free man being taken advantage of for many years would lead to revolts. This is why Jefferson was so worried about a race war in America, which eventually did happen.
One question that can be raised about Takaki’s arguments is, wasn’t this all necessary to make America the country it is today? In society today, many recognize that what happened in the past was wrong and they attempt to make things right, with new laws and privileges. The question could mean that America had to go through these times of slavery and mistreatment to become the great multicultural country that it is today. The answer could be yes or no really. It could have been the only possible way to make America so great, or no, that things could have been handled better from the beginning, which is also true.
Personally I gained a good deal of information from the reading. Many include the details of the slaves mistreatments, but I was not so aware of many of the smaller sort of revolts that took place and the “Giddy Multitude” of people was new to me. Overall I thought this was a good reading with great details and information.