By Sickboy

Ever since the beginning of time the persecution of man has always taken place. From the Salem Witch hunts to the modern day communist hunts that happened in the US in the 1950's. Another excellent example of the persecution of man is slavery, the bulk of which took place in The United States in the 1800's.

The most common form of forced labor in civilizations' history is slavery. Servitude (1) is the general term used to describe all types of forced labor. It is derived from the Latin noun servus(2), which means "slave".

Slavery comes in many different forms such as serfdom, debt bondage(3), and peonage(4). Serfdom, after slavery, was the most common type of forced labor; it appeared several centuries after slavery was introduced. The only difference between the two is the that slaves are the property of people and serfs are bound to the land the occupy from one generation to the other.

The basis of slavery is that the labor is a property(5). Which can be sold or traded at any given moment. The origins of slavery are unknown, but it probably emerged as an economic necessity of convenience when people began to establish communities on the sole basis of agriculture.

Slavery was said to begin in the ancient world, from the Mediterranean regions of China(6). Within a matter of ten years it became accepted in Ancient Greece and Rome. The sources for the slaves in the old world were conquest, piracy, or purchase from barbarian lands. Once the slaves reached their destination they were allowed to do every task that free people could, except political affairs. Many times a slave owned and operated his business, and if he got lucky enough to gain wealth he could buy his freedom. Although not allowed to be a citizen, he was counted a person. But this person still could not serve in the army or hold political office.

In Rome slave labor was the sole foundation of the state(7). Slaves were sent to do the hard physical labor, such as, the oarsmen of a war fleet, the aqueducts, docks, roads, and temples were to be maintained by them along with the copying out of books for the public library. Not only did they work physically but they also entertained. The slaves were sometimes bought by wealthy Romans and then had to fight as gladiators(8).

During the second and the first centuries BC, Rome had accumulated great prosperity so naturally the slave populations were very high(9). Along with these very high populations came what is known as the most serious slave revolts ever. These happened in Sicily between the years 135 and 132 BC(10). The best known of these rebellions was that of Spartacus in 73 to 71 BC(11).

By the 4th and 5th centuries, large groups of inherited agricultural slaves developed with the Roman Empire(12). Once these slaves were on the land they could never be sold between each other, when one changes hands the other goes to that same hand. Thus they were like tenant farmers who worked land for someone else(13). Over the years the slaves gradually became serfs, because, their next generations were tied by law to the land they occupied. In the western empire slavery, or serfdom, gradually disappeared after a hundred years in the 4th century. Then by the 10th century it was unheard of.

In Britain serfdom ceased soon after the end of the Great Peasant Revolt in 1381(14). Yet in certain parts of France it existed till the late 1700's when it was abolished by the French Revolution(15).

Slavery was revived in the 1400's when Europeans first came into close contact with African Tribes(16). It was first started as the Portuguese ships carried salves to Spain; and after the new world was discovered, descendants of these slaves were brought to Haiti to do mine field work.

Soon the slave ship was a regular sight on the ocean roots between African and the New World(17). The great ship companies of Europe bid against one another for the fortunes to be made in this slave trade. By the Treaty of Utrecht(18), England secured the sole right to supply black slaves to the Spanish colonies. In 1739(19), Spain tried to revoke this agreement; yeah right! This nonracial movement led to a war with England over the proposal(20). Then in a few years the demand for slave labor soon passed from the West Indies to North America.

It was plantation slavery that was established in the West Indies, Central and South America, and even in Canada(21). A minority of slaves worked in towns or cities at trades. Most lived on plantations, where they did all the work as both house servants and field workers. The treatment the slaves received depended on how they performed their work(22).

Most of the Latin American nations immediately abolished slavery when they gained their independence from Spain(23). This human injustice still continued in country's controlled by Spain. Except for Haiti, which overthrew slavery in 1803(24).

Finally the Europeans sense of justice took over and they began to feel like the Quakers(25). The final straw for slavery was the case of James Somerset (1772), in which the court had handed down a decision that Black slaves were free as soon as they set foot in the British Isles(26).

The slave trade was finally abolished by a western nation, Denmark, in 1792(27). England soon followed in 1807(28) along with the US in 1808(29). Soon the Congress of Vienna came up, and it was there that a great deal of progress was made. The assembled powers agreed that the slave trade should be abolished. Then finally in 1842 the Webster- Ashburton Treaty(30) obligated Great Britain and the United States to each keep a naval convoy of the coast of Africa to prevent shipment of slaves. This marked the day that African slave trading finally ended.

During the second world war forced labor was extensively used in Nazi Germany(31), both in the concentration camps and in the factories. The Soviet Union also used a system of labor camps as soon as the Revolution of 1917(32) was over. Forced labor only now strives in poor underdeveloped nations such as the Sahel in Africa(33).

As the world turns the human race always ponders new and easier ways to do things that will make their own life easier. The technology that is upon us gives us a hopeful future that persecution will slowly disapate. Yet not everyone can afford Robots so why not cheap labour or even slave labour. Thank God, that in todays world people us their heads before they do such foolish things like, the witch hunts or the slave trade. Finally the human race has begun to respect each other and realize that everyone is created equal.

Endnotes

1 The condition of being a slave

2 losing ones freedom by the failure to pay a debt

4 a type of contract labor . Once common in Mexico.

5 R. Eisenberg, The History of Slavery. New Orleans: MacMillan Publishing Co., 1982, p24.

6 Eisenberg, p. 50.

7 "Slavery," Encyclopedia Grollier, 1995 ed.

8 "Slavery," Encyclopedia Grollier, 1995 ed.

9 K. Matthews, The Roman Empire. Paris: Le Internationale Publishing Co., 1989, p. 165.

10 Matthews, p. 166.

11 Matthews, p. 166.

12 Matthews, p. 180.

13 Matthews, p. 190.

14 "The Peasent Revolt," Grollier Encyclopedia, 1995 ed.

15 "The French Revelution," Encyclopedia Brittanica, 1989 ed.

16 E. Henry, The Dawn of Civilization. London: Smith Publishing Co,. 1986, p. 154

17 Henry, p. 200.

18 "Slavery," Encyclopedia Grollier, 1995 ed.

19 "Slavery," Encyclopedia Grollier, 1995 ed.

20 "Slavery," Encyclopedia Grollier, 1995 ed.

21 "Slavery," World Book Encyclopedia, 1979 ed.

22 "Slavery," World Book Encyclopedia, 1979 ed.

23 "Slavery," World Book Encyclopedia, 1979 ed.

24 "Slavery," World Book Encyclopedia, 1979 ed.

25 "Slavery," World Book Encyclopedia, 1979 ed.

26 "Slavery," World Book Encyclopedia, 1979 ed.

27 "Slavery," World Book Encyclopedia, 1979 ed.

28 "Slavery," World Book Encyclopedia, 1979 ed.

29 "Slavery," World Book Encyclopedia, 1979 ed.

30 "Slavery," Comptons Interactive Encyclopedia, 1994 ed.

31 "Slavery," Comptons Interactive Encyclopedia, 1994 ed.

32 "Slavery," Comptons Interactive Encyclopedia, 1994 ed.

33 "Slavery," Comptons Interactive Encyclopedia, 1994 ed.

Bibliography

1. "Slavery," Grollier Encyclopedia, 1995, Multi Media.

2. Eisenberg, Ronald. The History of Slavery. New Orleans: MacMillan Publishing Co., 1982.

3. Matthews, Kevin. The Roman Empire. Paris: Le Internationale Publishing Co., 1989.

4. Henry, Edward. The Dawn of Civilization. London: Smith Publishing Co., 1986.

5. "Slavery," World Book Encyclopedia. 1979, vol 17, pp. 415-416b.

6. "Slavery," Comptons Interactive Encyclopedia. 1994, Multi Media.