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Slavery has been a debatable issue for a number of reasons. The major one finds basis in the fact that it is to this day regarded as the major cause of the American Civil War that lasted between 1861 and 1865. To understand the origin of slavery, different Historians have embarked on different researches on the topic in a bid to do the same. One such Historian was Zinn Howard who in the book A People's History of the United States argues that blacks have been ensnared in webs of slavery and “the elements of this web are historical, not ‘natural’” (34) To understand this statement, there is need to analyze the history of slavery, from its start to the emancipation of African American slaves after the Civil War.
History gives an account of slavery that suggests the trade began due to a number of reasons, none of which includes a natural order in which whites are superior to blacks. To analyze the historical aspects of slavery, there is need for a thorough analysis of the issue and in turn, the causes behind its beginnings.
Schaps in the article titled The Slave Trade gives an account of the beginning of slavery, which according to him first took place in Portugal. Regarding the purchase of slaves, Schaps states that, “They were sold to traders by other Africans, and eventually forced into slavery by men with guns. From here, slaves were placed aboard ships to be taken across the Atlantic on a voyage that was eventually coined "the middle passage” The white slave traders were unable to venture into unknown Africa in search of slaves and so, they relied on African chiefs that supplied the merchants with needed black slaves (Schaps). For instance, prisoners of war were often sold by their captors to the whites. In return, the African leaders were assured of safety from the invading whites and a steady form of barter trade through which they acquired new possessions from the New World (Schaps).
With these factors in mind, it is safe to state that the betrayal of one African by another made the acquisition of slaves from Africa easier. In contrast, slavery in America was met with resistance from the blacks as they each sought to protect each other rather than opt for betrayal in hopes of better treatment. One such example of slaves standing up for each other is seen in the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, Written by Himself where Douglass gives different accounts of blacks’ unity against their white masters. For example Douglass writes that, “Every man stood firm; and at our last meeting, we pledged ourselves afresh, in the most solemn manner, that, at the time appointed, we would certainly start in pursuit of freedom” (75). After discovering education as a pathway to freedom, Douglass chose to teach his fellow blacks and in turn, empower them with a chance for free lives. African American slaves learnt to stand together and face the oppressive power of their masters. Instead of cowering with fear or submitting to the white man, the slaves saw a need in acquiring their freedom and that of the next generations.
Slaves acquisition in Africa and America differed considerably in the fact that while those in Africa feared the white man, those in America chose to defy him by joining the abolitionists’ movement during the Civil War. While they had the same color skin, these two groups differed with regard to their backgrounds. For instance, while Frederick Douglass’ ancestors were originally African, he was born an African American slave. At the same time, while they originated from Africa, the first slaves to land in the New World still held on to their African values and ideologies. Therefore, their reaction to slavery would be considerably different as their histories played major roles in the same.
With respect, “the elements of this web are historical, not ‘natural’” (Zinn 34) is acceptable as history, rather than nature, played a big role in the beginning and ending of slavery. In addition, it is clear that while slaves originating from Africa feared the new land and opted to submit to the white man’s power, those born in white man’s’ land had other ideas regarding the same. Therefore, blacks were ensnared into slavery by their history rather than nature.
Work Cited
Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, Written by Himself. New York: Bedford/st. martin's, 2002.
Schaps, Dan. "The Slave Trade." Slave Resistance: A Caribbean Study (2013).
Zinn, Howard. A People's History of the United States: 1492-Present. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2005.
