A Different Mirror: The Hidden Origins Of Slavery

Chapter 3, The “Giddy Multitude”: The Hidden Origins of Slavery, in the book A Different Mirror focused the development of slavery in the Americas. Throughout the chapter, Takaki makes many references to Shakespeare’s, “The Tempest”, and relates much of what happened in this time period to the play. Takaki starts outs explaining the arrival colonists coming over as indentured servants. Although they were white, indentured servants were being outcasted by the wealthy white men. Their intentions of finding wealth and land were soon confuted by the discrimination they received. This caused them in turn, to start a revolt. Equally important, or even more, is same routine of taking one from their as they did to the colonists, but also to the Africans. The difference was level of rights they received. The skin tone were seen as “‘deeply stained with dirt’,’foul’,’dark or deadly’”(Takaki 50), by the English, which added to their maltreatment; seeing them as another specie of animal. In effect, laws were made to have Africans enslaved. Furthermore on the discussion of indentured servants being able to revolt. This was due to the

Like many Africans, the Irish and Germans involuntarily became servants, as they were also kidnapped. The black and the whites shared a number of similarities, such as exploitation and abuse. Causing a sense between the two. Escaping together, and rebelling against their masters. Accordingly, Bacon’s Rebellion occurred in Virginia. Miscegenation also became an issue. Though all of these equally involved, blacks and white, blacks received more severe punishment. Economic opportunities and political privileges were given to the white workers, hoping that it could help control the white labor force and possibly solve the class problem within white society. The Africans became the major workforce and rights were denied based on the color of their