SLAVERY CONTINUED

Review How long has slavery been around for? What do slaves look like? When did slavery start in Europe? Why were people enslaved? How were slaves captured? How were slaves transported? How were slaves treated?

Arriving in the Colonies  Yesterday we discussed the capture and transport of slaves. Today we will talk discuss what happened once they arrived in the Americas/Europe and the abolition movement.

Auction  When slaves arrived at their destinations they weren’t simply sold for set price. Rather, they were paraded in front of potential buyers and then bid upon like livestock.  Those who looked healthy and fit were sold for higher prices. Children who could be raised a certain way would also be sold for a higher price. Typically, men were purchased to collect resources (usually field work). Women were purchased to work in the home as servants. Depending on the slaves talents they may be placed elsewhere.

Female Slaves  How do you think female slaves were treated?

Female Slaves  Female slaves were often abused by their owners. Sexual abuse was not out of the question. Sometimes, as a result of rape, female slaves would bear children for their masters. These children were half black and half white and were referred to as “mulatto”.  How do you think these children were treated?

Mulatto  The men who raped their female slaves often had wives. This means that when a black slave had a mulatto baby the master’s wife could only assume her husband had slept with the slave. Who do you think would receive blame for the adultery? Would the husband be punished or the slave?

 Often, the wives anger would be taken out on the slave and then on the child. While lighter slaves were often seen as favorable (due to being more European); however, mixed slaves received just as much abuse.  The father of the mixed baby would typically not care for the child. This meant that even though the slaver was a father to the child, the child would continue to be raised as a slave.

Female Slaves  Female slaves were not only useful to work in the house but also for breeding purposes.  Slaves cost money. In order to save money you could force female slaves to sleep with male slaves in order to produce children. This mean that the owners would not have to purchase additional slaves, saving themselves money.

Auction Video   Do you think the slaves would be clothed? What were the men purchasing slaves looking for in men? What about the women?

Abuse  If slaves fought against their masters, didn’t work fast enough, tried to run away, etc. they were punished.  Abuse came in many forms. The most common were the use of derogatory terms such as nigger, lashings, and death.

Escaped Slaves Advertisements

Abolition  Not everyone thought of the slaves as lesser. Some people of European descent began relationships with slaves; however, these relationships were to be kept secret as it was not acceptable to “mix blood”.  Many people also fought for the rights of slaves, and eventually the freedom of slaves.

Abolition  Do you think those that fought against slavery were popular? Do you think they were called names or outcast by others? Do we have similar issues today with things such as gay marriage? Women’s rights? Etc.?

Late 1700’s  In the late 1700’s antislavery movements were at a high. British parliament even began looking into laws that would ban slavery in the British Empire.

Sugar  One major product that was produced with the help of slave labour was sugar. People who did not agree with slavery began to boycott items that were produced by slave labour. In 1791, after British Parliament rejected the abolition of slavery, people began to boycott slave produced sugar.  What was a favorite drink of the British? Do you think it was easy for the British to give up sugar?

End of Slavery  Over the 1700’s various restrictions on slavery came into place. In late 1700’s the Northern USA was overtaken by abolition movements. Certain states passed acts that restricted the enslavement of children born to slaves, and some rid of slavery all together. At the same time places in Canada began placing restrictions on slavery.

End of the Slave Trade  In 1807 the British Empire passed an act that abolished the slave trade; however, slavery itself was not abolished.  1819 – Black residents of upper Canada were declared free.  1820 – Slavery prohibited in parts of Northern USA.  1834 – British abolish slavery throughout most of the Empire.

Freedom in the USA  In 1863, President Lincoln passed the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing all salve in the US except for those in states that were not under Confederate control. This meant that certain states continued to have slavery. It wasn’t until after 1865, when the North US won the civil war, that slavery was abolished across the USA. This means that slavery existed 150 years ago.