Blacks in Latin America
A Comparison between the Cuba's Development of Slavery and North America
Differences
i) Slavery in Spanish America began earlier and was more intensive than in British America.
The Spanish government had legalized the business and even regulated and supervised it. There are no records of the number of slaves ferried from Africa earlier than 1790. The higher demand for slave labor in Spanish America resulted from the poor treatment they subjected slaves to leading to many deaths and sterility. Those in North America were fairly treated and some of them gave birth and multiplied (Murray, 1969).
ii) In Spanish America, slave trade was well coordinated and involved African rulers who sold their subjects; British America acquired many of their slaves from reproduction.
African rulers sold slaves to merchants like Francisco Felix Da Souza. The merchants then ferried the slaves to Latin America.
iii) The voyage from Africa to Spanish America was full of insecurity and merchants had to change the flag of their ships frequently to look like that of the enemy to prevent them from being attacked.
iv) The trade route from Africa to Spanish America was the busiest because of Spain’s support of the trade and it kept records of the number of slaves crossing to Cuba in a city called Havana. Records of slavery in North America are limited. This means that British America was not keen on keeping records.
Similarities
i) Slavery in both Spanish and British America ended as a result of anti slavery campaigns in both continents.
British played a bigger role in ending slavery by abolishing it in its colonies across the world particularly in Africa (Aptheker, 1963).
ii) Most of the Slaves for both regions originated from Africa and many died on the way before reaching destination (Hugh, 1871).
iii) In both regions (British and Spanish America), the biggest obstacle to the ending of the trade was received from African leaders who benefited from it.
References
Aptheker, H. (1963). American Negro Slave Revolts. New York: International Publishers.
Hugh,T.(1871). Cuba Pursuit of Freedom. New York: Harper & Row Publishers.
Murray, R. (1969). Statistics of the slave trade to Cuba, 1790-1867. London: Sage Publishers.
