The nature of Slavery would depend on the period in time frame that you looked at in African History. Slavery had existed in Africa before it came to the New World. To relate it to our studies, Baqt was unique to the Muslim world because it recognized that Christian Nubia was sovereign and exempt from the land of faith and land of the ememy. The Baqt bought peace and stability to the Christian Kingdoms of Nubia. But, it came with a price. Each year, Nubia was to deliver 360 slaves, men or women no children or old to the Baqt. This ended, due to Islam and the Nile River limited access affected the contract. 300 yrs. Christian fought off Muslim seeking control.
Slavery had been exported from East Africa for 2,000 years. Slaves were part of trade; considered merchandise to be traded for money or to satisfy debts owed or Labor. Salt production was in the Sudan, and was managed by the demand of Salt consumption. Slavery was a natural part of agriculture, iron, trade, religion, and ethnicity. Kings controlled the sale of slaves, as he did ivory and gold.
Slavery took flight to new heights when the Indian and Atlantic Ocean worlds evolved by the nature of the oceanic trade into city-states not smaller patches of land. Trade and Commerce kept the lifestyle of these city-states inhabitants being a dominated form of life; being supplied goods and slaves; left profits. Swahili Society was a big producer to support the ocean trading of slaves.
Swahili’s had profited hugely by slave trading. They had a system. Slaves shipped overseas were treated as chattel and thought of use like animals. Slaves kept on the coast, were divided into recognized categories of servitude from labors to trusted retainer. Females were used as concubines, field hands, and domestic use for owners. Former Slaves could never become full members of society.
This was the stigma that I think impacted the attitude that affected what people of outside cultures came to look or view the slaves that were traded oversees; this is my personal opinion not fact.
The stigma in Africa was that societies and cultures recognized slaves merely as property, but others saw them as dependents that might be integrated into the families of slave owners. In Africa, when you had slave owners and slaves mostly were black, even though they were from different ethnic groups. They were thought of as means to enhance the status of the slave owner. Many African societies believed and practiced those children of slave owners by their slaves could not be sold or killed. The outlawing of slavery did not erase the pain and stigma of having been a slave. That being people traded for good or service among people of Africa. Not being a full part of that society. Many descendants of slaves were affected by this stigma for generations after slavery was abolished
In the New World, the stigma coming from two groups Arab Muslims and Europeans; was different. Slaves were considered property but not similar to that of Africa; dehumanization and cruel treatment was different than slavery in Africa. The furthered dehumanizing effects of chattel slavery in two ways, made people view Africans slaves less than a complete person. Also, it allowed slaveholders more influence in Congress while still alienating black people throughout the United States. This stigmas has continued to affect the divided of Arab, Europeans, Africa ancestry in current and future generations, even though we are all American born; we are still divided.
George Washington with His Family and Personal Valet, 1796 Domestic Servants & Free People of ColorOne feature of slavery in the New World was the fact that slavery became "racialized," that slavery played a role in how people understood white and black, slave and free. Why would slavery in the New World be racialized while slavery in Africa would not? The "racialization" of slavery and the way that slavery played a role in how people understood white and black, slave and free.
New World; Virgina (New World Agriculture & Plantation Labor)My personal opinion is that when we looked at the way the Swahili’s had profited hugely by slave trading and there system of how they treated Slaves shipped overseas as chattel; I think this carried over into the New World and started the first treatments of Slavery in dividing people by color of skin.
Chattel is Property; Personal property, movable or immovable, which is less than a freehold; for example, a book, a coat, a pencil, growing corn, a lease. But, the New World took it as a form as not a book or coat but animals; In fact, animals were treated better than slaves. America, slaves were not treated equal. Unlike Africa, children and old could be sold, murdered or dehumanized in various forms of cruelty. They didn’t have the rights to marry and faced separation from family. The had not rights as a citizen or could move to obtain that status after rights were revoked in Jameson; stating that after 7 years slaves would be considered free.
In The Negro, African American sociologist W.E.B. Du Bois discussed the devastating effects of slavery on family and community life: "The greatest social effect of American slavery was to substitute for the polygamous Negro home a new polygamy less guarded, less effective, and less civilized."
Handbill offering cash to "all persons that have slaves to dispose of... (Slave Sales & Auctions: African Coast & the Americas)Another difference, is in Africa women were the main focus of slave ownership; outweighing the men in a ratio of 2:1; where in the a New World men were the main focus of slave ownership due to strength and ability to heavy intense labor. The slave labor in the New World was crucial to the economic life of that on the colonies. The treatment of Slaves in the New World transformed Africans practices of slavery. Slavery in Africa became a more central, organizational component of African life.
Shows the reaping of the sugar cane; black fieldworkers, white oversee Plantation Scenes, Slave Settlements & Houses
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