The slave trade going on during the 15th-19th centuries was mostly that of African slaves being brought over to the Americas by Europeans. But before that happened African citizens led their own part in ensuring enough slaves were available for trade: either by giving up captives of their kingdoms or by even kidnapping African people. Slaves contributed largely to the economy and were seen as replaceable, so they were treated as harshly as masters saw fit. The Atlantic slave trade brought prosperity Europeans and brought harm to many west Africans: Cruelty and slavery bringing about a social change in how Africans were treated in society, depopulation of Africans as a result of the kidnapping and harsh conditions under European slave owners, …show more content…
Lovejoy of Cambridge University: “they were outsiders who were alien by origin or who had been denied their heritage through judicial or other sanctions; that coercion could be used at will; that their labor power was at the complete disposal of a master; that they did not have the right to their own sexuality and, by extension, to their own reproductive capacities; and that the slave status was inherited unless provision was made to ameliorate that status.”(Doc. 2) This passage describes how Africans were brought to a foreign land and denied their culture. This could have made it hard for slaves to ever adopt an identity or persona, making them seem more as objects than people. Also the fact that most offspring would become slaves, that becoming the only thing they know would also make it very difficult for them to develop identities. The author of this passage is a professor at Cambridge University, this would seem to be an unbiased opinion based upon the time frame and all the research materials most likely at his disposal. A reason for writing this would be to analyze how African Americans are treated today or in 1983 when the passage was written and connect it to the Atlantic slave …show more content…
The social change that was brought about and for African slaves can be compared to the use of foreign slaves in the Roman empire. Both brought to a place they were not familiar with an expectation of following the beliefs already at the empire/ area they were at. This loss of identity and feeling of alienation brings about a social change in how slaves were seen even if slaves in the Roman empire weren’t based on race. Another aspect that can be compared to Roman slave was the depopulation as a result of cruelty under slave owners. Roman slave owners were also known to subject their slaves to torture and usually lived very short lives. The last comparison is that the high quantity of slaves brought about large quantities of goods for use in trade by Europeans. Prosperity was brought to the Roman empire through labor because of there being a lot of slaves to complete the public works projects which made infrastructure notorious for being ahead of its time. Also because regular citizens were not needed on farms and public works projects, they could spend time making medical discoveries and improving
Men owned men because of the color of their skin. These ex-slaves were uneducated and were scared of any change in their lives. What could be theirs today, may not be theirs tomorrow. It’s a shame that people had to live in fear of the government taking something away from them and all they did was share part of their lives to be documented and the documentation was not even accurate. “Freedom had come to a nation of four million slaves, and it changed their lives in deep and important ways.
They suffered socially with humiliation as they were viewed as animals and objects. They suffered emotionally with pained thoughts about loved ones and worried images of their lives. They suffered physically with brutal punishments that left twisted marks all over their body. The slave trade separated the Africans and their personalities. They acted like robots just to try and be perfect to keep from being
During the 18th century the slave trade prospered. Europeans manipulated Africans from the coast to attack nearby tribes and take captives (slaves). The slaves were exchanged for goods like guns and cloth. They were then shipped across the Atlantic in horrifying conditions. In spite of this the British forbidden the slave trade in 1807.
In the Atlantic World, African slave trade was introduced by the demand for cheap labor and provoked the horrible cruelties of slave trade. Around 1500, European colonists began to use enslaved Africans for the sugar plantations and tobacco farms because they needed a large number of workers to make them beneficial. The European workers planned on using Native Americans to complete the labor but millions died from disease, warfare, and merciless treatments, therefore, forcing the plantation owners to use enslaved Africans. Although slavery had existed in Africa for centuries, there were a few compelling occurrences that allowed slavery and slave trade to grow rapidly in it’s popularity. ADD THESIS.
Douglass’s Narrative writings show us that the masters ignore their slaves, and keep them ignorant and uneducated. They wanted their slaves to know that the slaves were born as slaves, and there was no way out to get rid of being a slave. The masters of the slaves wanted their slaves to accept and know that slavery was natural. The slaveholders did not want their slaves to write and read because if they knew to write and read, the slavery might have been ended after a while. Another point was to control over the slaves by leaving them ignorant.
In the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, Douglass illustrates the harshness of slavery, the power of education/knowledge, and that slavery is detrimental to all those involved. On several occasions, Douglass illustrates the desire of the white man to keep slave “ignorant” (Douglass, 2012). Not allowing slaves to learn to read or write, publicly and cruelly punishing anyone that did. Not even allowing them the simple of their own birthday. To ever teach slave would ensure “the freedom of the slaves and the enslavement of the whites” (Douglass, 2012).
Slaves were dehumanized by being sold next to livestock and split from their families like animals. By retaining basic information, such as the identity of the slave’s parents or their birthdays, the whites were able to deprive the slaves of any sense of identity or individuality. Once slaves had this knowledge they might begin to fight more diligently for their natural rights. Slave owners feared that if slaves became educated and “waken to a sense of their rights, and of the injustice done them” (Douglass 14), they would eventually revolt and want to simply be treated like a human being. For this reason, slave owners kept their blacks ignorant
In the slave narrative titled Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, the author Frederick Douglass suggests that slavery is not only negative for slaves, but it is also negative for slaveholders Douglas support his claim by telling the reader about how when a master gets a slave pregnant he sells the children when they were old enough. The authors purpose is to inform the readers about the hardships that slaves faced when they were children of white men and how it affected the way that their masters/ fathers, or the masters white wife would act and treat the slave. This earnest tone is followed throughout the book. Frederick has first hand knowledge of how having “mulatto” children, children with black women, affected the slaveholders
Racism, discrimination because of skin color, was practically invented during this time. People before didn’t care about other’s skin colors until they were made to think that lighter skin means superior when in fact the only difference is the amount of melanin in our bodies. When the Portuguese went to Africa, they didn’t care that they had a darker skin tone than them because they were taught to think that light automatically equals better. With the amount of slaves being taken, most, if not all, families got torn apart and were never reunited. Many cultures lost their fittest members to European traders and plantation owners.
It states "Slaves didn't even celebrate their birthdays and then some slaves didn't even remember their birthdays. Slaves wanted information about their childhood, and since they didn't know and no one told them they were unhappy. " In the evidence it shows that lack of education was that they didnt know their mothers and/or remembered their own birthday. For the physical abuse of slavery Douglass described the slavery as “Poison of the irresponsible power”. That masters have upon their slaves that are dehumanizing and shameless, have changed the masters themselves and their morality This amount of power and control in contact with one man breaks the kindest heart and the purest thoughts turning the person evil and corrupt.
African American had little freedom to cope with on the plantation. They were never free until abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass and a white woman; Susan B. Anthony, took a stand to let African American become
Great observation, I not quite sure I agree with your statement that the Atlantic Slave trade wasn’t an important in modern history because the African American slaves were the early work force that help shape this country from the colonial days to now. In short, the fact that 12 million Africans were kidnapped, separated from their family and shipped across the globe to the place of the unknown to be able to adapt and make the best of the situation was amazing (Slavevoyages.org 2008-2009. In our reading, I learn that Africans who arrived to the colonial societies in the sixteenth century made crucial contributions to shaping the foundation of present day Black Americans. Therefore, the slaves impacted the American culture by the type of food,
Slave Trade and its Effects in Early America In 1619, slavery contributed much to the growth of colonies in America. It continued until 1863. Moreover, the trade was widespread amongst the Americans, hence, became one of the largest industry during that particular century. Slaves were kidnapped from their residence in Africa, shipped to America under extremely unbearable conditions, and then auctioned off.
By comparing his experience to the adult slaves who also worked in the fields, he pointed out slaves did not enjoy much privilege no matter they are children, adults and elder. They did the labor work all season, but received limited supplies and necessities; they lived under an extremely poor condition place, each covered a miserable blanket and sleep on the cold, dump flood in all season (Douglass, Chp 2). Slave children only had a long linen shirt all season and could not get enough to eat (Chp. 5). Adult slaves and the blood-related slave children of their masters were bought or sold by their masters. In south slaveholders’ mind, slaves were and tool of laboring for support slaveholders’ living.
The Trans-Atlantic slave trade impacted and changed the world by misplacing and separating thousands of individuals from their families and homes. Thousands of people lost their lives when they were abducted and forced into slavery. Many did not survive the ship rides to the Americas. Many were murdered and tortured. Some were thrown of boats and died from diseases caught on the ship.