Fallout from the System of Slavery & Subjugation
Time to wrap things up here since it's only the early history of the Bloodhound. But for now, it's time to take a look at the implications of the use of the Bloodhound. They were once used to hunt animals and then they were used in wars and also at one time managed slave and Indian populations. So what's problematic about the Bloodhound? Did the Bloodhound actually keep institutional mistreatment going?
According to our ol' friend Burt Crawford, many law enforcement agencies today see Bloodhounds as dumb, stinky, slobbering, mild-mannered dogs. I can't necessarily disagree with him, given that I own one myself (Gina, who definitely fits all the stereotypes). Even with all of this history we've seen thus far, some feel the sentiment that “bloodhounds, even with that [special training], would be useless in our large centers for police forces” (Lee, 20). So what's with the sudden change of heart? An interesting thing to note here is that while Bloodhounds were agents of maliciousness towards Indians and slaves, they developed another recognition within the American community at the time. They began to be associated with the abolitionist movement. By gaining a wider audience in the public, “abolitionists capitalized on [the Bloodhound] image in their work against southern slavery. . .it gave abolitionists enough evidence to claim thereafter that these animals chased black southerners when they fled slavery” (Campbell). In this sense, the Bloodhound started to become emblematic of the Slavery System and “abolitionists could move full force to associate slavery with the violence of the bloodhound.” (Campbell) At the same time, fighting against slavery was not the only thing on the abolitionists' mind: "While the main purpose of these bloodhound references was to use the Seminoles' experience to highlight slaveholder control of federal policies, the invocations also reflected sincere concern for the Native Americans themselves, as people and not just as pawns in the larger political dramas between North and South" (Campbell). What this is all getting at is that the Bloodhound became a vehicle for human rights. Instead of allowing immoral behavior continue, "Abolitionists followed up these political successes by continuing to exploit the bloodhound as a political image. . .abolitionists marshaled it throughout the 1840s as part of their critique of federal Indian policy" (Campbell). Conclusions: Because the Bloodhound was a significant player in the Southern Slavery System and racist policies towards Indians, the abolitionist group(s) embodied the image of the Bloodhound in order to announce to the public the grotesque nature of the systems in place. Since then, Bloodhounds have taken on a new role, which is likely due to the victory of the Union in the Civil War and the demolition of the slavery system. Bloodhounds still track down lost peoples and escaped fugitives, but their nature is far different than as discussed throughout this section of the website. As much as humans impact the world during the so-called "Anthropocene" (lecture, 01/30), it should have become clear that animals, like the Bloodhound, can still have significant influences on society. If you would still like some information on the history of the Bloodhound, here is another great resource to utilize: http://bloodhounds.org.uk/History/MB-AspectsUS.pdf What are Bloodhounds up to today? Go find out and check out Josh's Page! /modern-bloodhounds.html |
Sad looking Bloodhound.
The only way I've known a Bloodhound.
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