Enslavement in the Colonies

First, Some Ground Rules

Slavery is a difficult topic, no matter how we look at it. Today, we know that enslaving people is wrong, and has always been wrong. You may have feelings, thoughts, or reactions to the information presented here--that’s normal!

If you choose to share your reactions…

• share them respectfully and do your best to explain what you are thinking.

If you choose to just listen…

• accept everyone’s feelings as valid and hold back from arguing or telling anyone that his or her reaction is “wrong.”

Also--we do not interrupt each other when someone is speaking!

A Note on Language

In this discussion, we are going to try not to use the word, “slaves.”

Instead, we are going to say, “enslaved people.”

You might be wondering,

“What’s the difference?”

What do YOU think the difference is?

The difference is that slavery is something that happened TO people. It is not who those people WERE. They were people first.

So...who WERE these people?

First: Africa is a gigantic continent. It is home to millions of people.

It is impossible to describe all African people as being “one way,” just as it is impossible to describe all American people as being “one way.”

The next few slides will give you a glimpse of SOME African societies--BEFORE slavery.

The Kingdom of Benin

Until the 1800s, the Kingdom of Benin was located in what is today southern Nigeria.

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During the 1400s, European traders started coming to West Africa. The Kingdom of Benin began to control the trade between the indigenous inland communities and the Europeans on the coast.

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The Kingdom of Benin made some incredible art--including large brass plaques that decorated the pillars of the palace.

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Brass plaque showing the Oba of Benin with attendants, 16th century, 51 x 37 cm, Edo peoples, Benin, Nigeria © Trustees of the British Museum

Turn and talk: what kind of art does YOUR culture traditionally make?

The Songhai Empire

The Songhai Empire lasted from 1464-1591. It covered much of what is today the country of Mali and several surrounding countries.

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Songhai was a center of the religion of Islam.

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They had an incredible, busy marketplace where they sold all kinds of merchandise.

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They also had a sophisticated army and a university!

So...what happened??

What happened was, the European colonists in the New World…

• needed workers
• $$wanted money$$

So, they figured the logical thing to do was to use enslaved people as workers, since they wouldn’t have to pay them and would therefore save money.

**IMPORTANT** Even free people who did not enslave others benefited from slavery because it kept the prices of things low, since the cost of making them didn’t include having to pay any enslaved people.

Turn and talk: Who makes the things that YOU use and wear? What do you think their lives are like? Who makes money from selling those things?

Where Did Slavery Happen?

Europeans in ALL of the American colonies practiced slavery.

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Enslaved people did different kinds of labor depending on where they lived.

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Think about it: Does anything surprise you about this information?

How Did the Colonists Get Enslaved People?

Enslaved Africans did not volunteer to become enslaved. They were forced to come to the Americas.

Millions of Africans--men, women, and children--were captured and put on ships going to the Americas.

They traveled the “Middle Passage,” which was the voyage from West Africa to the Americas. Many of the Africans died on the journey.

Once they got to the Americas, they were sold to colonists.

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Didn’t Colonists Realize Slavery Was Wrong?

Some did. But most cared more about making money than they did about the human rights of the people they enslaved.

Enslavers used ideas of racial inferiority to make themselves feel like slavery was “okay.”

Colonists believed that (white) Europeans were better than Africans, and that Christianity was better than African religions.

These ideas about skin color developed to justify the system of slavery.

Why Would People Let Themselves Be Enslaved?

THEY DIDN’T

Enslaved people did everything they could to try to be free.

It was dangerous for an enslaved person to actually fight back, because the colonists had the power. But enslaved people found other ways to rebel, such as…

• Working slowly
• Breaking tools
• Learning to read and write
• Saving money to buy their freedom

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Some enslaved people did manage to run away, but successful escape was rare.

So...why are we learning about this today?

It’s true that slavery is illegal in the United States today. But the colonial system of slavery has had a huge impact on the way life works in this country, even today.

1. Racism didn’t just end when slavery did. It’s still a problem, even now when we “know better.”
2. Because of racism, people with brown skin historically could not get the same kinds of jobs that white people could get. This meant they earned less money, which impacted their families for generations.
3. African Americans were not allowed to vote until 1965. But there are still obstacles to voting for many people of color.

What Am I Supposed To Do About This?

Well...you can’t go back in time and undo slavery.

But, there are some things you CAN do:

• Don’t be afraid to talk about the hard stuff. If we don’t talk about it, we can’t learn from it.
• If you’re in a position of privilege--whether you earned it or not--think about how you can help people who don’t have the same privileges as you.
• Understand that while slavery is not our fault, it is our responsibility to try to make sure everyone has the same opportunities and rights that we would like for ourselves.