Question

What was the punishment for educating slaves?

Answer 1

There was a fear to educate slaves because with wisdom comes other problems. If slaves learn to read and do math, they will in a sense, awaken and challenge their racial status and the racial inequality in America. They will begin to challenge laws and fight for their rights. Also, it will be harder to cheat them of their salary and of their rights. The awakened slave or person would realize that they should demand rights: rights they were cheated of such as the right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as stated in the U.S. Constitution. Therefore, it was a way to control the slaves and keep them from rising out of poverty, out of slavery, out of inequality etc. ways that slaves were educated, they could be subjected to beatings, being sold to another plantation and ultimately separated from their immediate families such as parents, children or siblings.