Enslaved Americans gained “nothing but freedom” after their emancipation (Essay Sample)

DID ENSLAVED AMERICANS GAIN “NOTHING BUT FREEDOM”?
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Slavery was a major trigger for the American civil war. Political leaders from the South were resisting against the North, who wanted to expand slavery to the western territories. Slavery and associating factors needed reconstruction that was followed with redemption. After redemption, freedom had a different meaning for the laborers; it came at a greater cost as compared to slavery. The enslaved Americans' history, the civil war, reconstruction, redemption, and the state of freedom in America today reflect the changes that have impacted slavery-related issues.
History
In the Bible, slavery existed even before the time of Abraham. Abraham was a faithful servant of God who owned slaves and treated them similar or worse than the slaves were in 18th century America. This factor is contradictory since in Bible, all men are equal before God’s eyes. Yet, he considered some of them as his property to be traded like any other property. Abimelech sold oxen, sheep, men, and women servants to Abraham. Abraham was known for his riches, which included sheep, oxen, asses, camels, men, and women servants. Abraham was commanded by God to circumcise all his male servants, a command he obeyed immediately. Even in the New Testament, the master and servant are frequently mentioned. In Colossians, servants are expected to obey their masters by all means, while masters are expected to give their servants equal and just treatment. Both the Old and New Testaments talk of slavery and expressly allow it. These are commands based on legality as well as property[Paul Finkelman, “Slavery and the Bible 1850,” in Defending Slavery: Proslavery Thought in the Old South: a Brief History with Documents (Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2003))] [John F. Kvach, De Bows Review: the Antebellum Vision of a New South (Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky, 2013))]