Liberal Forum

RebelGator » Yesterday, 4:41 pm » wrote: ↑

Yesterday, 4:41 pm

Pretty good post, but why do you think slaves had it worse in America than one's in Africa did? As far as I know, a slave in America was never eaten by a lion or killed by a water buffalo.   

 In Africa, slavery was often domestic or kin-based. Slaves were usually absorbed into households or clans and sometimes could rise in status or even marry into the family. Many were war captives, debtors, or criminals. However in America, slavery was chattel slavery, meaning slaves were treated as property, with no rights or recognition of their humanity. Their children were also born into slavery, and families were routinely separated. Also in Africa, slavery was not the backbone of the economy. Most African societies were not industrialized and didn't rely heavily on large-scale plantation labor. In America, slavery was crucial to the plantation economy, especially in producing sugar, cotton, and tobacco. The demand for labor led to brutal exploitation to maximize profits. African slaves could sometimes earn freedom, own property, or even become part of the ruling class. In contrast, freedom for American slaves was rare, and freed black people still faced systemic racism and legal barriers.