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Introduction
Slavery is an age-old practice that has existed in many forms among different human societies. In fact, as early as 3,000 to 2,000 B.C., in the primeval civilization of Mesopotamia, slavery, in its various forms has already been observed (Perbi 1). For many years, the institution of slavery has existed in many places around the globe, but it made the biggest impression in the continent of Africa where slavery took its greatest toll. Intertwined with the African slave trade is the huge demand for slave labor in the European colonies, specifically the large plantations of the New World. Since the 17th century, slavery has played a significant role in the history of the United States. What is interesting about slavery in the United States, though, is in its magnitude and resilience. As observed by the historian, Eric Foner, an estimated 7.7 million Africans were brought to the New World in the inclusive dates of 1492 and 1820; the bulk of which was brought in the 18th century when slavery in the United States was at its peak (Foner 137). It is also interesting to note that despite the hardships and affliction experienced by the slaves, only a few attempted to escape or rebel from it. Slavery in the United States, for instance, persisted for more than two centuries with only few instances of revolts prior to its abolition. This paper outlines the development of slavery in the United States and the reason why most slaves silently endured their predicament.
Origins of Slavery
Long before the first slaves were brought into the United States, the institutions of slavery have already been established most especially in the African continent. Even during the ancient world, Africa has become a major supplier of slaves domestically and regionally. As early as 3,000 B.C., the first civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia relied on African slaves to perform various roles in their society (Perbi 1). Some slaves serve as concubines and domestic servants while others were even entrusted with key administrative and military roles (Perbi 6). Slavery has become a distinctive feature of African life. Families, for instance, are parcelled with lands based on the number of slave workers they can acquire. For the same reason, buying slaves is a normal state of affair in order to increase agricultural production. While most African slaves enjoy certain rights and privileges, the way of obtaining them is often violent. Most slaves, for instance, are gained through warfare. Captured prisoners of war often end up being enslaved by their captors while others are sold to slave traders. Valued for their strong physical features and docile nature, African slaves are considered as prized possessions. In fact, they are often paid as tribute to monarchs and chieftains along with other valuable goods. Prior to the slave trade in America, there was already a flourishing slave trade in Africa as fueled by its high demand in the region. Clan wars, for instance, are often waged in order to obtain slaves while slave raiding and kidnapping became rampant in many African communities (Perbi 5). For the same reason, when the American slave trade began, the institutions of slavery in Africa had been already well-established.
The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and the Middle Passage
A huge demand for labor emerged with the rise of wide agricultural plantations of sugar cane, cotton and tobacco in European colonies of the Western Hemisphere (Foner 138). Local laborers, however, are expensive and so plantation owners sought ways of obtaining cheap labor. In America, the American natives were an obvious choice. However, they easily die out of sickness that the European brought and can easily escape into the wild because of their survival abilities and vast knowledge of the terrain. Indentured servants such as the convicts of England, on the other hand, can also easily escape captivity primarily because they can blend easily with the whites. Africans, on the other hand, are different in many ways from native Americans and white indentured servants. Unlike native Americans, Africans grew in an environment where they have become more immune not only to European diseases, but also to a wide variety of tropical sickness such as malaria and yellow fever. Combined with their strong physical features, Africans can survive better than native Americans and Europeans in the harsh working conditions of the plantations. Moreover, they cannot easily escape primarily because they are foreign to their new environment and are easily recognizable because of their color. For the same reason, African slaves are the best possible solution to the high labor demand in the vast plantations of European colonies in the United States.
At first, African slaves came in small numbers on the Atlantic coast of Europe and the United States in the 1500s (Lovejoy 10). However, the demand for slave labor gradually increased and reached its peak in the 18th century. As observed by scholars, more than six million African slaves crossed the Atlantic in the 17th century alone, many of which were destined to the plantations of Virginia, Maryland and South Carolina. Within the duration of the Atlantic slave trade from the middle of the 15th century up to the middle of the 19th century, scholars estimate that at least “12 million people are known to have left the shores of Africa destined for the Americas, and to a much lesser extent in Europe, although not everyone made it alive, and some died soon after arrival” (Lovejoy 1). The West Coast of Africa became an important outpost in the slave trade between the African and European slave traders. Financed by European slavers, many African rulers engage in the slave industry and has developed vast networks of slave supply chain that runs deep into the interiors of the African continent. The importation of slaves across the Atlantic towards the New World, also known as the Middle Passage, is one of the most notorious and difficult journey for African slaves. Slaves, for instance, are initially forced to travel over long distances from different parts of Africa until they reach the West Coast, where slave holding facilities, also known as slave factories, are located . While slaves wait for the vessel that would take them across the Atlantic, they are exposed to sickness and affliction due to the harsh and unhealthy living conditions in the slave holding facilities. Prior to being boarded, the slaves are shackled and branded with a hot iron so that their owners can distinguish them when they arrive at their destinations. They are then tightly packed into the ship like a can of sardines (Hooper 4). Since they are unable to move freely, they have no other choice, but to relieve themselves where they lay (Hooper 6). Many of the slaves perish during transit due to the brutal and insanitary conditions of the slave ships. The journey aboard the ships can also take months and when supply is running low, it is the slaves who suffered the most. According to scholars, at an average, 26% of the ship’s slave cargo die during transit because of sickness and food shortages during the trip (Lovejoy 4). Some slaves, realizing that they will not see their home and family again, jumps off the ship to their death. Sharks, for instance, are observed to follow slave ships because of the many instances wherein the slaves jumps overboard the slave ships (Lovejoy 5).
Resistance to Slavery
Attempts to resist slavery are not uncommon among African slaves. In fact, some Africans would rather die than be captured for slavery. However, many of the slaves who have reached their destination in the New World find that resisting slavery is futile. Just like Olaudah Equiano, many African slaves tried to gain their freedom through peaceful means (Foner 137). Resisting slavery is difficult primarily because there is no organized effort that would back those who escape from their masters. Apparently, slaves have nowhere to go to and many of those who attempt to runaway end up getting recaptured and severely punished. There were, however, significant rebellions in the history of slavery primarily because the slaves were given enough opportunity to organize themselves. One of which was the mutiny of the slaves in the slave ship, Amistad. Many runaway slaves in Central America have also organized a successful resistance against plantation owners. Commonly known as the Maroons, these runaway slaves organized themselves to form tiny bands that raided plantations and freed other slaves. These tiny bands of runaway slaves grew to become sizable communities and have grown powerful enough to resist even the government that caters them. In the United States, occasional violent rebellion occurs, but is often squelched as soon as they occur. The rebellion of Nat Turner, for instance, can be considered as one of the most violent slave rebellion in the history of slavery in the U.S. However, it only lasted for two days as the rebels were successfully suppressed. In the most part, slaves in America silently endured their predicament despite the harsh, cruel and inhumane treatment that they receive from their white masters. Most African slaves strived to live a peaceful and dignified life.
The greatest challenge to slavery came not from the slaves, but from the whites themselves who were the forerunners of the Abolition movement in the United States. Some slaves, for instance, successfully regained their freedom by appealing it through legal means as backed by the abolitionists. The success of the Amistad rebellion, for instance, can be attributed to the support of the abolitionist movement who fought for the release of the captured slaves through extensive legal and social protests. Another significant case backed by the abolition movement is the case of Dred Scott. Born a slave in the Blow Family of Virginia, Dred Scott was sold to the American surgeon, Dr. Emerson. Scott served as the surgeon’s personal assistant, running errands for him and accompanied him in his posts in Illinois and Wisconsin. It should be noted that slavery is prohibited in Illinois and Wisconsin so that when Emerson died, Dred Scott petitioned for his freedom in Missouri; arguing that he once resided in Illinois and Wisconsin and is, thereby, considered as free. The Abolitionists rallied behind Dred Scott and what was supposedly a harmless appeal was blown into a national legal battle. Dred Scott lost his case after several petitions as the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the abolition of slavery was unconstitutional. Dred Scott lost his case, but his case inspired the Abolitionist movement and is considered as one of the major factors that pushed America to the brink of the Civil War .
Conclusion
The institutions of slavery in Africa are already established prior to the entry of the Europeans. The country’s long history of slave trade paved the way for the establishment of efficient methods of acquiring and trading of slaves. Africans were already accustomed to slavery, which is also the reason why there is only little to no resistance when the Atlantic slave trade began. Despite being subjected to harsh labor conditions, African slaves remained docile. Running away, for instance, would expose them to unknown environmental elements while their color does not allow them to escape from being spotted since they could not blend with the local population. Runaway slaves were also severely punished when captured, which discourages many slaves from even attempting to escape. Aside from a few instances of revolts, slaves in the United States silently endured their predicament primarily because they have very limited options. For more than two centuries, slavery flourished in the United States because the system itself prevented the slaves to organize and fight for their freedom.
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