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How Slavery Has Shaped Our Society Today

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Slavery has always been a very important part of history. It is what shaped our society today and contributed to the many ways we live our lives. Slaves were shipped forcefully from Africa to North America, to help colonize the New World. The transatlantic slave trade carried Africans to the Americas, where they worked on plantations and performed hard labor. The produced goods would then be transported back to Europe to be sold for profit. Slaves helped boost the economy and develop societies, in what is now called the United States. During these significant progressions, slaves endured harsh treatment and were torn away from their homes and entered into horrific conditions. Most slaves within Africa lost their freedom because they were either captured in war, kidnapped, or were enslaved …show more content…

Slaves had no legal rights and were under complete control of their masters. Masters would rarely be prosecuted if they killed a slave, and those who were found guilty only had to pay a fine. Slaves, on the other hand, were punished severely for minor crimes. They would be whipped, burned, or disfigured for stealing, running away, or if they rebelled (Goldfield, The American Journey). All the while, slaves manage to maintain some of their traditions that carry on today. They sang African songs and created other forms of tools that flourished all throughout North America. The white people in the south were investing big in crops, such as tobacco and cotton. They brought slaves to work on their lands because it would be cheaper and more easy. Africans were examined like objects and sold to different colonists, often separating from their families. Africans faced daunting challenges as they entered the New World. They were isolated from their homeland and fought to sustain cultural traditions in a new environment, where they underwent brutal

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