We went from understanding that slaves were forced to work in terrible work environments and were treated so poorly, to understanding now that there was even more. There were slave masters who were totally against educating their slaves because it was inhumane and they would rather have illiterate slaves. Improve the ownership of their slaves because they don't have to worry about them learning better lifestyles. Then there were also the slave owners who were responsible for the education of the slaves. Treating it as a liability instead of illegal. That said, the overall impact of slavery on America was dramatic. When looking back at slavery in America, people now understand the horrible events that occurred and how poorly people were treated. Now that they understand the history of slavery, people see it as something terrible in our history and want to embrace equality, instead of denying it.