David Walker's Appeal: Article Three Summary
In section three of Walker’s Appeal, he discusses his position on how the Europeans used religion to justify slavery. He begins with a brief history of Africans being enslaved by the Spanish, and then proceeds to explain the conditions of colored people in America. The european religion was spread throughout the colonies but the African slaves were not allowed to practice it. He thinks that the Christian Americans are contradicting the bible by oppressing those of a different color. He expresses an example of this inconsistency on page 43, where it says, “See how they treat us in open violation of the Bible!! They no doubt will be greatly offended with me, but if God does not awaken them, it will be, because they are superior to other men, as they have represented themselves to be. Our divine Lord and Master said, "all things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so unto them." But an American minister, with the Bible in his hand, holds us and our children in the most abject slavery and wretchedness.”
He believes that the Americans, who claim to be superior, will repent in the future because of the cruelty that they have incorporated with slavery. He also continues to outline the contradiction that exists in christian practices. He describes how Christians try to “save” the Africans by baptizing them, but also teach them to turn against each other so that the Africans can fight and trade the captives of war into European slavery. He also mentions that the English are “friends” of the Africans, because they didn’t treat them as badly as the other European colonies and the Americans. He believes slavery is destruction and that the only way to stop it is for the Americans to stop making “a mockery of the Bible” and to repent.
He believes that the Americans, who claim to be superior, will repent in the future because of the cruelty that they have incorporated with slavery. He also continues to outline the contradiction that exists in christian practices. He describes how Christians try to “save” the Africans by baptizing them, but also teach them to turn against each other so that the Africans can fight and trade the captives of war into European slavery. He also mentions that the English are “friends” of the Africans, because they didn’t treat them as badly as the other European colonies and the Americans. He believes slavery is destruction and that the only way to stop it is for the Americans to stop making “a mockery of the Bible” and to repent.