The History Of Slavery

The History of Slavery

By: Jubran Jindeel

Nearly every culture, religion, and race from ancient times to 1815 engaged in some form of slavery. Even though slavery has been around for thousands of years, it differs from culture to culture and time period to time period. This essay will examine the differences and similarities of slavery in various cultures and times.

Hunter gatherers and primitive farmers had no use for slaves so they did not own them. When a group won a war they took the other people in as slaves or killed them. Once cities were developed and people needed to supply more food, slaves started to be more useful. Slaves were also criminals, captives, and children. The first record of slavery is in ancient Babylon in the 18th

Jobs, except for politics, were open to slaves. In general, the large number of mine slaves was treated cruelly. Public slaves were treated better. The majority of slaves worked on farms. Female slaves where often employed in homes to do chores and make food. Most Greek citizens could afford slaves.

The main way the Greeks got slaves was from prisoners of war, or piracy. Defeated groups of people were taken as slaves. The practice of slavery was controversial in Greece. Some cities even passed laws prohibiting slavery in the city. Like Greece, most Roman slaves in the second century BC were acquired through wars and piracy. Romans got slaves form all over Europe and Africa. Slaves were often purchased from wholesale traders. Prices depended largely on a slave’s strength or skill. Some of the highest bids were thousands of dollars in terms of current money.

Rome had a greater number of slaves and treated slaves more brutally than the civilizations before them. Most of the slaves were employed in the mines and mills. Some educated slaves had better jobs like accounting or teaching. In the fields, slaves had to work in chain gangs. Others were forced to become gladiators for the people’s

Ships left Britain with beads, guns, and rum. Then they are traded with people in Africa for slaves. The slaves where than packed into ships and made the Atlantic crossing. The main slave trade was in America. Here, slaves were then traded for molasses to be sold back in Britain for more guns and beads. One in six slaves died on the grueling voyage to the West Indies.

The barbaric ways of the slave trade where noticed by some in England. Quakers already condemned slavery at this time. With the declaration of independence people started to see that the slaves were being mistreated. The Quakers rejected anyone who owned slaves. Slavery was declared illegal in 1807 by countries on both sides of the Atlantic.

Slave trade started because people wanted help farming. As the practice of slavery grew more sophisticated over time, it grew more brutal. By the time the triangular trade came about, slavery had become extremely brutal. In the end Abolitionists fought against slavery because of their strong convictions that slavery was wrong. The institution of slavery in the West was ultimately abolished.

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