THE NEW WORLD SLAVERY.
"I was now persuaded that I had got into a world of bad spirits and that they were going to kill me."Olaudah Equiano was one of the 15 million slaves.A slave is a person totally subject to his/her owner's will.He/she could be bought and sold,traded or leased.Slavery was not fully and legally recognized until 1600s.Most slaves were free people who were captured in wars,kidnapped,sold by relatives or superiors,sold to pay debts,enslaved as punishment for certain crimes or sold for food in famines;therefore,what,indeed, fired the notion of slavery and how come did enslavement become so common in the birth of New World?.
As the sugar,tobacco and cotton plantations expanded,"Negro" slavery was needed,since it was cheaper and safer,considering the reality that the Indians and white servants could fIee. "Three blacks work better and cheaper than one white man stated the governer of Barbados(p.6).The African slaves were able to fulfill the labor supply.Therefore,the economic motives played a greatly significant role in African slavery.However,we should also mention the fact that it would be cheaper and more convenient to bring enslaved Europeans to the New World,in terms of shipping costs and time for transportation;which brings us to the issue of racism and prejudice Europeans would accept lawbrakers and prisoners as slaves only if hey were not felloew Europeans". (p.28)The natives of Africa,whose religion was not Christian, looked so different from Europeans and were considered "a people of beastly living, without a God,lawe,religion or common wealth."(p.10) According to Europeans,black color was the symbol of devil,sin,filthiness,ugliness and danger, so we have to mention a racial(color) prejudism;which apparently seems to be the complement of slavery.Yet white servants were more free because of their skin color where as the African became more enslaved everyday.
