Comparing Slavery In North And South America

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Wow! I guess I never really thought about how far slavery went back, how it all started and how many lives were lost early to slavery. As in most of the world, slavery was involuntary human servitude that was practiced across not only North and South America but also in Africa too. Slavery started off as a way to mass produce many different trade products such as gold, silver, sugar, cotton, tobacco and many other farm crops and items so a standard of economic and growth of wealth could be established. Slavery affected many different countries including North America, South America and Africa; however, there are many differences between slavery in Africa and Slavery in the Americas. Most of the slaves in North America had very hard jobs,…show more content…
Slaves in South America worked more in gold mines and silver mines. South America slaves found life very hard as well as the North America slaves. South America slaves would often work at least 12 hour days with very little to eat. Brazil supplied more than half of the world’s gold at this time. African slaves had a much easier life than both North and South American slaves. The life expectancy was longer for African slaves for obvious reasons due to work was much easier and a chance of freedom. An African slave had a life much like that of a prisoner, a hope for change, a chance to earn a family, a chance to become a dependent to a family, earn his life back if a job was well done. One thing that was for sure different between North and South American slaves was the fact that African slaves could be owned by the same color person of the slave. Although same color slavery was most often different ethnic groups, it may seem as to everyone’s belief that slavery began in the Americas. Slavery existed in some of Africa’s earliest organized societies, more than 3,500 years…show more content…
Male slaves typically did the harder work farming and keeping the animals feed and watered and construction, and metalwork. American slaves had little to no chance of being freed or the hope of performing a non-slave job or civilization. A movement to abolish the slave trade and the practice of slavery came into the Western world as emotions grew in Western Europe with the Enlightenment era and as European economic interests changed from agriculture to industry. As many differences in countries who had slaves, one thing that was starting to form in the 1800’s was countries were starting to talk about slave abolishment. Although North America was not the first, nor the last, to abolish slavery it put many countries to follow. Although colonial authorities began outlawing slavery in African territories in the 1830’s, the complete abolishment was not until the first quarter of the 20th century. Since slavery had been around so long it instilled in some African societies and slavery continued illegally. So that slaves would be free they would have to escape to societies that did not recognize slavery. Other slaves stayed where they were, continuing on being a slave because that is all they

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