Topic for discussion - manumission

[epeeblade]

(I haven't done one of these in a while, so here goes...)

I was reading the latest bit of A Kept Boy last night when something occurred to me.

In it Jensen vehemently denies being part of any family, and denies any identity other than that of slave. He's not the only one raised from childhood to be the perfect slave.

So what would happen then if the abolitionist movement does pass a manumission clause? Now granted, it's probably not going to cause hundreds of people freeing their slaves en masse, but I can imagine wealthy owners "freeing their slaves" in their will after they pass. What happens to the slaves who can't imagine a life outside of slavery?

(And yes this would probably be AU like whoah, but it's something I'm interested in seeing explored in fic...)

Comments

[deadlychameleon.livejournal.com]

In this system, I'm guessing many of the freed slaves (who didn't want to be free/weren't planning on it) would immediately go broke and go back into the system.

Or, they'd find a master/employer and while technically maintaining their freedom, basically be a slave anyway. That's probably what I'd see happening with Jensen. If manumission were legal, Jeff wouldn't allow him to remain a slave, but he'd still choose to be Jeff's.

I think Jensen would be the perfect second in command for Jeff as a general/resistance fighter if civil war did break out over slavery (again). It would be a very interesting relationship to see.