4 ms·

A primary purpose of the 13th amendment is the preservation of slave labor through prison.

throwaway0a5e 5y ago
To call "preservation of slave labor through prison" a "primary purpose" of the 13th amendment is just insane. Sentencing people to hard labor for certain crimes had been done for thousands of years by that point. The prison carve out was a reflection of the fact that the states passing the amendment were interested in getting rid of commercial slavery as it existed in the south, not throwing a wrench into their own prison systems. The idea that some fraction of prisoners would be doing hard labor for the duration of their sentence or some fraction was completely (edit:)uncontroversial status quo at the time. Contrast with lifetime enslavement for commercial purposes which was was controversial enough to fight a war over.
- netizen-936824 5y ago
  Wasn't commercial slavery also status quo? Something being status quo is not good reason for it to remain so. The government version of "slavery for me but not for thee"
  - throwaway0a5e 5y ago
    My point was that prison labor was uncontroversial and they weren't trying to screw with it whereas they were willing to go to war over slavery.
- thescriptkiddie 5y ago
  After the civil war, southern states imprisoned countless former slaves on trumped up charges, many of whom were then rented out to plantation owners.
- danShumway 5y ago
  I'm not sure I follow, it sounds to me like you're agreeing with GP. Slavery overall was status quo. America passed an amendment to end slavery, but added some exceptions to preserve slave labor for criminals, because as you state: > the states passing the amendment were interested in getting rid of commercial slavery as it existed in the south, not throwing a wrench into their own prison systems They wanted to end the subset of slavery that was practiced in the South without ending slavery overall.

To call "preservation of slave labor through prison" a "primary purpose" of the 13th amendment is just insane. Sentencing people to hard labor for certain crimes had been done for thousands of years by that point. The prison carve out was a reflection of the fact that the states passing the amendment were interested in getting rid of commercial slavery as it existed in the south, not throwing a wrench into their own prison systems. The idea that some fraction of prisoners would be doing hard labor for the duration of their sentence or some fraction was completely (edit:)uncontroversial status quo at the time. Contrast with lifetime enslavement for commercial purposes which was was controversial enough to fight a war over.

netizen-936824 5y ago
Wasn't commercial slavery also status quo? Something being status quo is not good reason for it to remain so. The government version of "slavery for me but not for thee"
- throwaway0a5e 5y ago
  My point was that prison labor was uncontroversial and they weren't trying to screw with it whereas they were willing to go to war over slavery.
thescriptkiddie 5y ago
After the civil war, southern states imprisoned countless former slaves on trumped up charges, many of whom were then rented out to plantation owners.
danShumway 5y ago
I'm not sure I follow, it sounds to me like you're agreeing with GP. Slavery overall was status quo. America passed an amendment to end slavery, but added some exceptions to preserve slave labor for criminals, because as you state: > the states passing the amendment were interested in getting rid of commercial slavery as it existed in the south, not throwing a wrench into their own prison systems They wanted to end the subset of slavery that was practiced in the South without ending slavery overall.