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...
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