The Mighty Ideal of Freedom developed in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs, Blood-Burning Moon, by Jean Toomer, and The Souls of Black FolkSlavery by WEB DuBois played a fundamental role in the history of the United States. The wealth created by the unpaid labor of African Americans helped ensure the country's industrial revolution and subsequent economic strength. Yet, that wealth created incredible political power for slave owners and their representatives. African American slaves brought with them many languages, cultures, and values, which helped shape America and its unique cultural and natural environment. Continuing a brutally cruel system, enslaved Africans developed a deep commitment to freedom and became a living testimony to the powerful ideal of freedom. As Harriet Jacobs wrote in Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, she stated, “No pen can give an adequate account of the all-pervading corruption wrought by slavery” (Jacobs 289). This refers to both the author's personal struggles under slavery is to a significant theme throughout her narrative. Throughout her personal history, Harriet revealed that the institution of slavery crippled the accepted family structure. For example, enslaved women similar to Harriet herself needed the permission of their masters to marry, which often delayed or destroyed their ability to marry and reproduce. Slave women often faced sexual abuse and mistreatment from their slave owners. The traditional family structure was further threatened by the dispersal of its members example, it was not uncommon for the children of enslaved women to be sold immediately after birth. As a result, these att......middle of paper......m slavery are extremely evident throughout history. Yet, the word freedom has been a topic of debate, and for good reason. There are so many different views on what truly defines freedom and what influence it has on our daily lives. Therefore, whites had to accept the fact that African Americans were gaining rights and freedoms that once never existed. Those who had a say within the black movement gave others the courage to go out and work for themselves and their future, willing to forget every old saying that made blacks inferior to whites. Works Cited Du Bois, WEB The Souls of Black Folk. New York: Bantam Company, 1989. Jacobs, Harriet. Incidents in the life of a slave. Ed. Jean Fagan Yellin. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1987.Toomer, Jean. “Moon Burning-Body”. Cane. New York: Livericht, 2010. 39-49. Press.