The Idea and The Practice

Slavery

• What were the scale and scope of slavery in the Americas?

• Who conducted slavery, and where in the Americas was slavery practiced?

• How was slavery justified?

• How does slavery relate to democracy as a form of government?

What was slavery in the Americas?

When did slavery begin in the Americas?

• Spain began importing African slaves to its Caribbean colonies in the 1502.

• England began importing slaves to its east coast colonies in the mid-1600s.

Caribbean Map

Atlantic Slave Trade1500s-1800s

Colonial Slavery in the Americas

Virtually all European

imperial powers brought slaves to their colonies in

the Americas.

Virtually all sections of

colonial South, Central, and

North America practiced slavery.

Slavery in the U.S.A.1860

ALL STATES cooperated with and enabled slavery.

Abolition of Slavery in the Americas

• 1803-Upper Canada• 1804-Haiti• 1808-U.S importation• 1821-Ecuador• 1823-Chile• 1829-Mexico• 1831-Bolivia• 1824-Central America• 1842-Uruguay

• 1851-Columbia• 1853-Argentina• 1854-Peru, Venezuela• 1863-U.S. (partial)• 1865-U.S.• 1873-Puerto Rico• 1886-Cuba• 1888-Brazil

How did Europeans and Americans

Debate Massive African Slavery?

What did you learn from

your research?

• John Calhoun• George Fitzhugh• Thomas Paine• Benjamin Banneker to Jefferson• Jefferson to Banneker

TraditionAs Justification for Slavery

Slavery had been

practiced universally throughout

history

• Ancient Greece

• Ancient Egypt

• Ancient China

• Roman Empire

• Middle Eastern Empires

• Mayan & Aztec Empires

• European Kingdoms

ReligionAs Justification for Slavery

• The Christian Bible contains numerous approving references to slavery.

• The Christian “Doctrine of Discovery” or “Doctrine of Conquest” explicitly approved of slavery.

Philosophy & ScienceAs Justification for Slavery

Historically, slavery had been considerd simply as a by-product of war.

From the 16th-20th Centuries, Philosophy and Science were used to associate slavery with the superiority and inferiority of human groups, and with race.

“Great Chain of Being”

Ancient Greeks• Life forms can be

organized in a hierarchical order

• Higher life forms are superior to lower life forms

• Lower life forms serve and are used by higher life forms

Medieval Expressions of

The Great Chain of Being

“Humans” were still a single category

17th-18th Centuries

Where Should the “Human Line” Be Drawn?

Slavery morally problematic Slavery morally justified

18th Century

Hierarchy of Human Types

Biological superiority and inferiority within the human categorybetween races was established.

18th & 19th Centuries

Race and Psycho-Social Patterns• 1. Americanus. Native American males were supposedly red; had black hair and sparse beards;

were stubborn; prone to anger; "free"; and governed by traditions. Thus, this form of Homo sapiens was definitely inferior and uncivilized.

• 2. Asiaticus. The male Asian was said to be "yellowish, melancholy, endowed with black hair and brown eyes...severe, conceited, and stingy. He puts on loose clothing. He is governed by opinion." Thus, like the aforementioned type of Homo sapiens, the Asiaticus could only be a mediocre prototype.

• 3. Africanus. The male of this subset, according to Linnaeus, could be recognized by his skin tone, face structure, and curly hair. This kind was apparently cunning, passive, and inattentive, and ruled by impulse. The female of this kind was also apparently shameless, because "they lactate profusely.”

• 4. Europeaus. The males of this subset were supposedly "changeable, clever, and inventive. He puts on tight clothing. He is governed by laws.”

• Therefore, being the most civilized of the Homo sapiens, the Europeaus was obviously the most superior type in Charles Linnaeus's view

Biological differences were connected to psychological and cultural differences to identifysuperior and inferior races.

Slaves as Sub-human Property• " The slave, being personal chattel, is at all times liable to be sold absolutely, or

mortgaged or leased, at the will of his master.” (S. Carolina)

• “…be it enacted and declared by this Grand Assembly if any slave resists his master . . . and by the extremity of the correction should chance to die, that his death shall not be accounted a felony, but the master (or that other person appointed by the master to punish him) be acquitted from molestation, since it cannot be presumed that premeditated malice (which alone makes murder a felony) should induce any man to destroy his own estate. “ (Virginia)

• Mr. WIGFALL, the new Senator from Texas, in one of his recent speeches in the Senate, said he denied that "we at the South draw any distinction between slaves and any other property. We ask simply," said he, "that that property shall be put upon the same footing as every other species of property, to the same extent as lands, horses, mules and hogs. We ask that, and we ask nothing more." (Texas)

Assignment on 9-04