So when had slavery begun? We learn
about the greatest slave trade being the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. But did it
start that way? What led to the America that we have today? All these questions
can be explored further and discussed through the race and slavery debate that
has been analyzed for generations. Whether or not you believe slavery came
before race, both sides of the issue can be considered.
In 1534, the Spanish came to the
New World with black conquistadors. Such men were armed and fought off
indigenous peoples with a Spanish army. From here, they settled and grew crops,
like maize, in their “New Spain.” Black conquistadors were both volunteered for
these expeditions and were involuntarily pushed into these adventures[1].
If they had been enslaved previously in Spain and fought along with the
Spaniards, they earned their freedom in Spanish America1. Almost 100
years later, the British began colonizing Jamestown in 1619. Plantations were
not something that existed yet. One of the first ships carried in African
slaves, like a man named Anthony Johnson. In the beginning, there were many
opportunities for Africans. He worked with his owner and earned his own
freedom. It is not too long after that slavery began to evolve.
Johnson used his earnings to create
his own tobacco farm, own his own white servants, and his own black slave. As
Virginia prospered, Johnson’s “blackness” began labeling him as an “outsider.”
People started realizing his wealth in association with his physical
appearance. After his death, whatever government in place at the time took away
everything he owned[4].
The British saw how much wealth the
Spanish were accumulating and how quickly it came to them. Free labor became
key. The British wanted to catch up in their own establishments in the New
World and make a fortune quickly. The only way to find this cheap, efficient
labor was to find people in Africa.
Slavery did not begin with white
Europeans taking Africans from their homes; it had already been occurring among
African tribes. War between the tribes meant something needed to be given up
fit enough for the victors, so Africans took other Africans as slaves. The more
slaves you had, the more powerful you were considered. If you were an African
that spoke a different language than the overpowering tribe, you were seen as different,
and therefore, enslaved. For goods, liquor, weapons, Africans would trade their
captives and slaves to the Europeans.
The emergence of slavery is not a
mystery. Not only had Africans enslaved other Africans, but the Greeks and
Romans had enslaved their own people as well. Slavery in Ancient Rome was
common. Captives and foreigners were enslaved, but it was possible to be freed
by your owner or to buy your own freedom[2]. Ancient Greek educated
their slaves and allowed them to play important roles in society[3].
It was slavery in the Americas that was based on race.
Slavery was passed on from
generation to generation in the New World because of race. Their reasoning
behind it pertained to Christians not being allowed to enslave Christians (so
white shouldn’t enslave whites). Backed up by religion, the “Curse of Ham” gave
a reason for enslaving black Africans. Enslavement didn’t happen all at once,
but little by little, the dehumanization of blacks transpired. All in all,
slavery dates back to thousands of years ago. The only difference between
ancient slavery and slavery in the Americas is race.
WC: 575
Pledged: Kendall Gasner
[1] Matthew Restall, “Black Conquistadors: Armed Africans in Early
Spanish America,” The Americas 57, no. 2
(2000): , doi:10.1353/tam.2000.0015.
[2] "Slaves & Freemen," PBS, , accessed September 13,
2017, http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/slaves_freemen.html.
[3] “The Populace of Athens - Slaves,” PBS, , accessed September 13,
2017,
https://www.pbs.org/empires/thegreeks/background/32b.html.
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ReplyDeleteI think your approach of the linkage between different times in history is effective. It provides readers with an understanding that history truly does repeat itself, it’s just a matter of who can, for a lack of words, really go down in history. Indirectly, you provide evidence that supports the argument that slavery came before race. Since the concept of slavery had been around for many years prior to American slavery, race was the Europeans way is changing up what the history of slavery had always been like. To further assess your argument, I think it would be interesting to make a connection to how land played a part. Professor McKinney used the example of if someone took you 30 minutes away from your home, you’ll know how to get back. Taking someone from their country onto new land may answer the question of how race became the reasoning for slavery in the New World.
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