Conditons of Slavery

 

To a degree, the material conditions of slave life were predetermined by the status of the slave. During the early colonial period, slaves and indentured servants enjoyed greater freedoms than black slaves would in later periods. But even then, they belonged to the lowest, poorest ranks of society. In the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, slaves were condemned to impoverishment by the law. In many colonies, slaves could not participate in wage-earning trade or labor. In others they were denied the right to own property. The slave's resulting dependence on his or her master for the most basic necessities -- food, clothing, shelter -- was integral to the preservation of the master's power and the sustaining of the slave society. The doctrine of paternalism guided much of the Southern rationale for slavery. As a public expression of humanitarian ideals drawn from both the American Revolution and the Great Awakening, which spread Christianity far and wide, Southern plantation owners defined slavery not as an institution of brute force, but of responsible dominion over a less fortunate, less evolved people. 


Slave Cabin

 

Different Types of Slavery

Slavery thrives in the rug loom sheds of Nepal; the sex-slavery brothels of Manila, Thailand, Japan and the U.S.; the water-carrier chattel in Mauritania; the charcoal-making camps of Brazil; child prostitution in Ecuador; and child camel-jockey riding for the wealthy Sheikhs in United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar. Migrant trafficking exists for sexual labor throughout visa-free Canadian borders and into the U.S.A. Slavery exists in the garment manufacturing sweatshops of Los Angeles and New York, in the numerous sex clubs of St. Paul and Minneapolis, or domestic servitude in the wealthiest homes in Paris, London, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., just to name a few. Sex Slavery: Astonishingly, people can really buy and sell women and children and get away with it. Induced by force, fraud, coercion, and imprisonment, sex slavery is the fastest growing and most hideous form of modern day human bondage. Former Austrian figure skating champion Wolfgang Schwartz was sentenced in 2002 for trafficking women from Eastern Europe to Austria for forced prostitution. Sex slavery is growing fastest in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Several billions of dollars are paid and made through sexual exploitation such as forced prostitution, strip and lap dancing, pedophilia, ephebophilia, homosexuality, and the production of pornography by organized crime rings, gangsters, pimps, corrupt government officials and law enforcement ranks. This criminal and immoral activity results in the physical, mental, and spiritual abuse of millions of women and children each year worldwide. And, yes, even in these United States.

The End of Slavery

Despite the power of the slaveholding clique, there was a growing debate within the U.S. concerning slavery and its possible expansion beyond the South. In order for slavery to survive, the system needed to expand into the new Western states. These contentious debates began to lay the basis for a conflict between the North and South that eventually ended in the Civil War. When Abraham Lincoln of the newly formed Republican Party was elected president in 1861, the South pre-empted any formal debate on the question of slavery by launching the secession crisis that provoked the Civil War. This was the bloodiest war of the 19th century. In a span of four years, more than 650,000 people were killed. The central issue was slavery. Two years into the war, Northern generals, led by Abraham Lincoln himself, tried to articulate a vague concept of "national unity" as the central issue. But it was not until Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863--which only freed slaves in the seceded states of the Confederacy--that Union forces actually began to have some sustained successes.

What Led Up to Slavery?

Contingency and accidents that led up to Slavery

Virginia was founded in 1607, it was the land of farming. Many colonist during this time resulted in farming. The main crop they grew was tobacco. Virginia began to prosper in their economy by growing tobacco and exporting it to England. Growing tobacco needed laborers. The only labor that was available for the need was indentured servants. These two combinations of tobacco and indentured servants led up to slavery.
The money made from tobacco led to the growth of more farmers. Tobacco was easy to grow and easy to maintain, it was the main crop in Virginia. Many colonists in Virginia depended on the crop of tobacco, because they used the produce of the tobacco to pay for taxes and to buy imported goods. Many colonists began to see the money making of growing and exporting tobacco.  

Slaves working on a tobacco plant

Work Cited

"A Brief History Of Slavery -- New Internationalist." New Internationalist. N.p., 5 Aug. 2001. Web. 7 May 2013. http://newint.org/features/2001/08/05/history-slavery.htm.

 

Almond, Kyle. "The face of slavery around the world – The CNN Freedom Project: Ending Modern-Day Slavery - CNN.com Blogs." The CNN Freedom Project: Ending Modern-Day Slavery - CNN.com Blogs. CNN, 1 Apr. 2011. Web. 7 May 2013. http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/01/the-face-of-slavery-around-the-world/.

 

"HISTORY OF SLAVERY." HistoryWorld - History and Timelines. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2013. http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/plaintexthistories.asp?historyid=ac41.

 

"History of Slavery." The Civil War. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 May 2013. http://www.sonofthesouth.net/slavery/history-slavery.htm.

 

Slavery Timeline 1501-1600 - a Chronology of Slavery, Abolition, and Emancipation." Brycchan Carey - Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2013. http://www.brycchancarey.com/slavery/chrono3.html

 

 "Contingency and Accidents That Led Up to Slavery - Term Papers - Ph1Yjai." Free Term Papers, Research Papers, Essays, Book Notes | StudyMode.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2013. http://www.studymode.com/essays/Contingency-Accidents-Led-Up-Slavery-102730.html.
 

 

 "How slavery was ended | SocialistWorker.org." SocialistWorker.org | Daily news and opinion from the left. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2013. http://socialistworker.org/2008/02/15/how-slavery-was-ended.

"Different forms of human slavery." RenewAmerica. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2013. <http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/kralis

 Boston, Nicholas. "Slavery and the Making of America . The Slave Experience: Living | PBS." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2013. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/slavery/experience
 

 

Background on Slavery

Slavery goes as far back as 6800B.C. and still is around to present day. Slavery started as a civilzation.
 Slaves didn't really have a choice weather they wanted to go they were forced to do what ever they were told Slavers really didn't have any rights. Slaves have been forced to work unreasonable hours and are locked up sometimes with out food or not enough food to feed everyone. The slaves were taken from places that they thought were safe or even in their town it didn't matter if someone needed slaves they were taken. Slaves play a big part in history there are so many countries that used slaves for an everyday usage. Slaves were used for everything like wars, helpers, etc. what ever they were needed for they were used and it wasn't easy on them so many got sick and passed away because of all they illnesses that were going around and all they work conditions. It's a shame they way that they were treated and it should be put to a stop!!

The Reason Why...

The reason why I chose this topic is that I'm interested in finding out how slavery started and if it started in other countries before it came to the United States. It would be nice to see where slavery actually started and where it is originally from and how it all started. It would nice to see how many people tried to help and who stood out from other people that tired to help and if they made a difference in the way things are today. Slavery has impacted the world in many ways and it would be nice to see every way that slavery has changed things that we still have today. I'm interested in finding anything that would be very interesting and will help us understand what slavery really was and how it all came to be.