Verified Document

Slavery In The New World Term Paper

Slavery in the New World Characters who are always in need of discrediting the United State and to oppose its role as pre-eminent and most powerful force for goodness, human dignity and freedom focus on bloody past of America as a slave holding nation. Apart from mistreatment and displacing native Americans, they enslaved millions of Africans, which is one of the worst mistake which has ever happens in the history of America. When this republic was found, slavery had already taken other forms in most section of the World, and was an accepted aspect of human history as from the start of the societies. It is believed that human being moved to an important leap towards civilization almost 10,000 years ago, in form of submission, domestication as well as training some of the important animals, and at this time they also started ownership and domestication of fellow human being that they could capture as prisoners at war. Historians argue that the year 1441 is the year when slave trade was officially declared open. This year is marked by shipping of ten Africans from the northern Guinea Coast as a gift to Prince Henry the Navigator, after they were captured by Portuguese sailors, (WGBH | PBS, 2012). As a result, a modest trading expedition in command of the young protege of Prince Henry named Antam Goncalvez took place. However, the ten Africans were never captured with the intention of sale, they were just to be shown to Prince Henry just like any other tropical birds, exotic butterflies or rare plants could be presented.

Three years later, "(1444)" after a number of expeditions, there was bumper harvest that was realized from one of the expedition capturing two hundred and thirty five African men, women and children. Even though these Africans were torn apart from their families, they were treated well, underwent baptism and even absorbed into Portuguese households where they were petted and educated. Until fifteenth century, the emphasis remained of saving black souls by the conversion to Christianity. That act of enslaving got justification by tag from the Bible, more commonly the curse that Noah laid upon Canaan after the flood: that his descendants should be eternally subject to all the other races of the world, (Christine Bolt & Seymour Drescher, 1980). Many misinterpreted this and took advantage, for instance Charles V. granted the Governor of Bresa the monopoly of shipping four thousand African slaves in a year to the West, which was practiced until 1518.

Even though the marked significant years of start in practicing slave trade is 1441 to 1444, the year 1492 tend to be the most significant year in history, after Christopher Columbus discovered the New world. The three and a half century that followed, in addition to the ever-increasing momentums, coming up of new territories across Atlantic were in demand of millions of African slaves. Prior to African slaves in the New World, there was already arrival of indentured servants "the white cargo" in America within the decade facilitated through settlement of Jamestown by the Virginia Company in 1607.

The whole issue that surrounded slavery was the need for cheap labor. A realization erupted that there was lots of land to care for, however, these earliest settlers ha no one who could take care of it. At the same time passing through the colonies proved to be expensive except for the wealthy, the Virginia Company came up with indentured servitude system in attracting workers. As a result indentured servants became of significance to the colonial economy.

The slaves lasted for about four to seven years as it was used as an exchange for room, passage, freedom dues, lodging and board. Even though the life of slave was harsh and restrictive, it was not slavery. Laws in existence protected their rights. Nevertheless, they were not having an easy life. A contract of a slave could sometimes be extended in case the servant had broken the law, be it an attempt of running away, or become pregnant on the part of the female servants. The servants who...

In fact a section of the servants rose to be part of the colonial elite, however, many of the slave who were able to survive the treacherous journey by sea as well as the harsh conditions of life in the New World, on the other hand satisfaction became the modest life as a freeman in a new land of opportunities.
The first black Africans arrived to Virginia in 1619. As there were no slave laws that existed, at first they were treated as slaves, and enjoyed the same opportunities from freedom dues just like the whites. In 1641, and 1661, slave laws were passed in Massachusetts and Virginia respectively, resulting to taking away of any freedom that the blacks enjoyed. Depending on the rising demand for labor, so was the cost of slaves. Most of the owners of the lands as well were subjected to threat posed by newly freed servants demand for land. On the other hand, colonial elite saw this as a solution to the problems of slave on opting to go for African slaves as a more profitable and ever-renewable labor source, hence shifting slavery to racial slavery was a good beginning.

Southern English colonies had that transition from English slaves to African slaves. The main economy of the early American Colonies was agriculture. Especially within the south, plantations were to yield large amount of rice, sugar and tobacco that were of high demand in England. Prior, those who worked in these plantations were English slaves but as1600s century was ending, a big force of using African slaves came into force. What facilitated the change was the combination of rebellious English workers, African slaves faming abilities, and affordable African slaves (Herbert S. Klein, 1963).

There was duration of working and after the period they were to be set free and be given land. What as well could be considered as a factor that facilitated the slave trade with African was lose of African slave monopoly by the Royal African Company 1698. This paved way for some other parties to enter into the lucrative business of slave trade. The new competition resulted to a significant fall of slave prices. In addition, the rise in slave traders increased the number of African slaves brought to America. For instance the followed decades after 1700 the American colonies received importation of over ten thousand African slaves.

Even though the English colonies did not have experience in cultivating rice, they depended on knowledge of the West Africans on growing rice when they were in Africa for over a hundred years. Some of the colonies such as Carolina paid a lot of money for an experienced African in rice growing. Apart from having skills in growing rice, African slaves had a rare ability to work in the rice fields. Cultivation was done in large a swampy field that was prone to mosquitoes carrying malaria, but since the African slaves were native to the same climatic condition they developed immunities to the disease.

The history of United States becomes more ashamed to the face of America with the cold, premeditated way they used in buying and keeping African slaves in captivity. They saw the used method to be so effective that they kept slaves in captivity for more than two hundred years in this country. This was rain of terror that kept black people in fear o their lives for quiet a long time. Because of gun invention back in the fifteenth century, it facilitated a lot traveling to another continent and enslaving many people.

The Africans faced a very inhumanely mistreatment just right from the start, both physically and mentally. On their transportation, they could be packed tight on ships for months, chained to one another having little to eat, drink and no bathing. Ferrying of slaves into U.S. was done through harrowing overseas route mariner known as "the middle passage," Three commodities were involve in the triangular trade: slaves from Africa, manufactured goods from Europe as well as crops as raw material goods from the America. As many as 400 to 700 slaves were to be on a single board where they could be shacked together below decks. Without considering the worst condition a human being could be subjected to. Within unsanitary conditions, hunger, disease as well as depression that could claim an estimated 50@ lives in a single ship

There were no rights that could protect the slaves, and this slavery separated families. The Northern states increasingly came to consider slavery to be moral evil, (Michael Medved, 2012). In 1808, the U.S. slavery was outlawed and at the same time about 1 million were living in America. As Civil war…

Sources used in this document:
References

Christine Bolt & Seymour Drescher. "Anti-Slavery, Religion and Reform."

Connecticut (1980).

Herbert S. Klein. "Slavery in the Americas." Chicago (1963)

James Pope-Hennessy. "Sins of The Fathers." New York (1968).
Michael Medved "Six inconvenient truths about the U.S. And slavery" Townhall. (2012). Retrieved October 30, 2012. http://townhall.com/columnists/michaelmedved/2007/09/26/six_inconvenient_truths_about_the_us_and_slavery/page/full/
PBS, (2012). Prince Henry the Navigator. Retrieved October 30, 2012 from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1p259.html
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

European Colonization of the New World
Words: 698 Length: 2 Document Type: Term Paper

European Colonization What issues were involved in the European colonization of the New World from 1492-1640? How significant were these issues for the future course of U.S. History? The world of Columbus, of 1492, may seem like a foreign country as well as another time, when comparing the new American nation of the 18th century to the European world of the 15th century. During the period from 1492-1640, the European powers were

African Slavery With New World
Words: 978 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

S. The lives of the slaves were sharply divided from the whites on the plantation. The slaves lived away from the main house in the slave quarters, and only the house slaves were allowed in the main house. The slaves not only worked in the fields, they had to grow their own gardens for food, and they usually only got Sunday off. During planting and harvest, they worked long hours,

Brave New World What Is
Words: 646 Length: 2 Document Type: Term Paper

He went to jail for refusing to pay taxes, to protest America's involvement in the Mexican War"(Henry David Thoreau," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia, 2007). While it could be argued that refusing to pay taxes hurt Americans who had nothing to do with the government's decision, Thoreau would counter that if no one obeyed their conscience, and everyone simply conformed to societal dictates, positive change would be impossible in the

Founding European Colonies in the New World
Words: 926 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Founding European Colonies in the New World Founding of European Colonies in the New World The New World was not founded over night. It was, in fact, a very laborious period where several European colonies worked for centuries to secure a new spot in a virgin territory, filled with natural resources the continent of Europe had never seen before. Early struggles and hardships eventually led to successful colonies which, over time, developed

Mennonites When the New World
Words: 2306 Length: 7 Document Type: Term Paper

It did not permit them to provide medical or humanitarian aid to the enemy side, which was common in other wars. More than 2,000 Mennonites were drafted, and, for the first time, spent time in military camps. Another 600 to 800 left the United States for Canada. Finally, in 1918, the Farm Furlough Bill allowed COs to do farm labor in lieu of military duty due to the extensive

WWII the United States Entered
Words: 1011 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Gradually, though, the war effort eroded the practical and theoretical underpinnings of racism in the United States. The war stimulated the domestic economy, particularly in the industrial and manufacturing sectors. Jobs were opening up rapidly, and because so many white men were fighting the war, many black men were available to work. "For black workers World War II opened up opportunities that had never before existed," (O'Neil 1). The

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now