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    African Slavery

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    ali
    The document discusses the reasons for the enslavement of Africans in the Caribbean. It explains that the indigenous population was rapidly decreasing by the mid-16th century due to diseases and harsh working conditions. The encomienda and indentured servant systems that used the indigenous people and Europeans respectively also failed. Africans were then introduced as they were from a similar tropical climate and were accustomed to agricultural labor. Their enslavement was further justified on the basis of religion and pre-existing slavery practices in parts of Africa, despite the immense brutality of the Atlantic slave trade.

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    African Slavery

    Uploaded by

    ali
    220 views7 pages
    The document discusses the reasons for the enslavement of Africans in the Caribbean. It explains that the indigenous population was rapidly decreasing by the mid-16th century due to diseases and harsh working conditions. The encomienda and indentured servant systems that used the indigenous people and Europeans respectively also failed. Africans were then introduced as they were from a similar tropical climate and were accustomed to agricultural labor. Their enslavement was further justified on the basis of religion and pre-existing slavery practices in parts of Africa, despite the immense brutality of the Atlantic slave trade.

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    middle passage during slavery

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    The document discusses the reasons for the enslavement of Africans in the Caribbean. It explains that the indigenous population was rapidly decreasing by the mid-16th century due to diseases and harsh working conditions. The encomienda and indentured servant systems that used the indigenous people and Europeans respectively also failed. Africans were then introduced as they were from a similar tropical climate and were accustomed to agricultural labor. Their enslavement was further justified on the basis of religion and pre-existing slavery practices in parts of Africa, despite the immense brutality of the Atlantic slave trade.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    220 views7 pages

    African Slavery

    Uploaded by

    ali
    The document discusses the reasons for the enslavement of Africans in the Caribbean. It explains that the indigenous population was rapidly decreasing by the mid-16th century due to diseases and harsh working conditions. The encomienda and indentured servant systems that used the indigenous people and Europeans respectively also failed. Africans were then introduced as they were from a similar tropical climate and were accustomed to agricultural labor. Their enslavement was further justified on the basis of religion and pre-existing slavery practices in parts of Africa, despite the immense brutality of the Atlantic slave trade.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
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    The passage discusses the reasons for the enslavement of Africans in the Caribbean, including the failure of earlier labor systems like the Encomienda system and indentured servitude, as well as factors that made enslaved Africans suitable for plantation labor.

    The three types of labor systems mentioned were the Encomienda system, indentured servitude, and slavery.

    Spain was the first because it controlled most of the New World in the early 16th century, the indigenous populations had declined dramatically, indigenous people were not seen as suitable for hard agricultural work, and a large and reliable labor source was needed after colonists began cash crop production.

    African slavery

    Reasons for the Enslavement of


    Africans in the Caribbean
    Slavery has been a feature of the history of
    mankind from the early period. In the New
    World, three types of labour system was used or
    tried by the seventeenth century. They are: The
    Encomienda System, The Indentured
    Servant System and Slavery. All three have
    been considered as or treated as slaves but the
    West African experience was the worst of all.
    Reasons for the Enslavement of
    Africans in the Caribbean
    Why was Spain the first one to import slaves to the New
    World?
    1. At that point in time- early sixteenth century she was the sole
    owner' of all the countries in the New World except Brazil.
    2. The indigenous population had rapidly decreased by then. In
    fact they were exterminated by the 1550's.
    3. In addition they were not seen as suitable for hard agricultural
    work. Indeed they were not used to it and they had proved their
    frailty when they were sent to work in the mines. The mortality
    rate was alarming!
    4. After the colonists in the New World decided to produce for
    export, they needed a large, steady and sure supply of labour.
    5. It was a Spanish Roman Catholic Priest: Las Casa who, in a
    desperate attempt to save the Indians from extinction suggested
    that the African slaves be used instead. Sadly, his advice was
    heeded.
    Reasons for the Enslavement of
    Africans in the Caribbean
    1.
    The Encomienda System. This as
    you know involved the Amerindians. It
    was not successful because the Indians
    were exterminated by the mid
    sixteenth century.
    Reasons for the Enslavement of
    Africans in the Caribbean
    2.
    The Indentured Servant System. This involved the Europeans and also
    failed in a relatively short time for different reasons:

    (a) The Indentured Servants came from Europe. They died from tropical
    diseases for which they had no immunity.

    (b) They found it difficult, they claimed, to labour in the sun for long hours.

    (c) The contract period was for four to five years. At the end of the contract
    they were to receive free passage back home or a grant of land. Of course,
    most persons wanted land. When land was no longer available, they refused to
    rehire themselves while new persons were no longer attracted by the scheme.
    This method therefore proved to be unreliable.
    (d) A number of them ran away and broke their contract. Some joined the
    Buccaneers. Again you already know about this group so we travel on.
    Reasons for the Enslavement of
    Africans in the Caribbean
    3.
    Slavery. This involved the West Africans. In 1640, the Sugar
    Revolution began in Barbados courtesy of the Dutch. Once it
    became clear that there were profits to be made, the revolution
    quickly spread to the other British colonies and the French ones
    as well. In order to make a profit sugar has to be cultivated on a
    large scale- that is on an estate or plantation. These large estates
    or plantations needed a sure, steady, reliable, efficient and cheap
    source of labour. The Africans were introduced as they seemed
    to fit the criteria.
    But African slavery did not start with the English in
    Barbados. The Portuguese were the first ones to obtain the
    asiento (1515-1580) from Spain to sell slaves to her New World
    territories.
    Reasons for the Enslavement of
    Africans in the Caribbean
    What were the other reasons that accounted for the use of Africans as
    slaves as the most suitable for the sugar estates?

    1. The West Africans also came from a tropical climate. They were already
    immune to tropical diseases.
    2. Many of those who were captured were agricultural labourers possessing
    the necessary skills required on the estates.
    3. The usual God excuse- the slaves were heathens and would be introduced
    to Christianity. Please take note of this because later on, the English planters
    in particular are going to deny them free access to their Churches.
    4. They were physically strong, able to endure hard work.
    5. They also practiced a form of slavery in their homeland. The participants
    in this evil trade failed to consider the fact that slavery in West Africa could
    not be compared to that in the New World in terms of the atrocities
    perpetuated or the inhumane qualities of that system.

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