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And PS - Whites were slaves too...
A million Europeans enslaved
(Washington Times March 11, 2004 )
REUTERS NEWS AGENCY
An American historian says that more than a million Europeans were enslaved by North African slave traders between 1530 and 1780, a time of vigorous Mediterranean and Atlantic coastal piracy.
The number of white European slaves is only a fraction of the trade that brought 10 million to 12 million black African slaves to the Americas over a 400-year period, historian Robert Davis says, but his research shows the slave trade was more widespread than commonly assumed. The impact on Europe’s white population was significant.
“One of the things that both the public and many scholars have tended to take as given is that slavery was always racial in nature — that only blacks have been slaves. But that is not true,” said Mr. Davis, an Ohio State University professor.
“Enslavement was a very real possibility for anyone who traveled in the Mediterranean, or who lived along the shores in places like Italy, France, Spain and Portugal, and even as far north as England and Iceland.”
In a new book, “Christian Slaves, Muslim Masters: White Slavery in the Mediterranean, the Barbary Coast, and Italy, 1500-1800,” Mr. Davis calculates that between 1 million and 1.25 million Europeans were captured by pirates called “corsairs” and forced to work in North Africa during that period.
The raids were so aggressive that entire Mediterranean seaside towns were abandoned by frightened residents. “Much of what has been written gives the impression that there were not many slaves and minimizes the impact that slavery had on Europe.
“Most accounts only look at slavery in one place, or only for a short period of time. But when you take a broader, longer view, the massive scope of this slavery and its powerful impact become clear.”
The pirates, sailing from such cities as Tunis and Algiers, raided ships in the Mediterranean and Atlantic as well as seaside villages to capture men, women and children, he says. They were put to work in quarries, in heavy construction and as oarsmen in the pirates’ galleys.
Mr. Davis calculated his estimates using records that indicate how many slaves were at a particular location at a single time. He then estimated how many new slaves it would take to replace slaves as they died, escaped or were ransomed.
“It is not the best way to make population estimates, but it is the only way with the limited records available.”
Slavery without a doubt was the worst mistake this country ever made. No other aspect of our history has had such a negative impact on this country, from start to now. While there is much to be thankful for from former slaves, the crime, culture differenence and injection of race into every single disagreement between black and white has made any contributions from former slaves not worth the pain. Those who bash America for its slave holding past actually hate America. They should have the foresight to understand that the fallout of slavery will eventually destroy this country and that should make them happy.
I hate it when people put facts up before rhetoric. This can’t be true.....
“In short, politically correct assumptions about America’s entanglement with slavery lack any sense of depth, perspective or context.”
As is the case with virtually all leftist thought. (if you’ll excuse me for referring to the demented leftist mental processes as “thought”)
Facts have no place in this discussion. Any thesis must be founded on hysteria, knee-jerk emotionalism, and race-baiting. Now write me a check and we’ll forget this ever happened.
Here’s a question for the group. Is Communism a form of slavery? Socialism? What about specific states (China, N. Korea, Cuba, Vietnam)?
To me the most interesting things about slavery are the things that are nearly forgotten.
For instance the fact that slavery existed on this continent under British rule for far longer than it did under American rule. It’s always pointed out that the Brits abolished the slave trade and that’s true. The reality is that they didn’t abolish the trade until it had become unprofitable due to a large enough breeding population to sustain slavery anyway.
The British didn’t condone slavery but they didn’t abolish it till they needed fighting men for the revolution. After all, slavery generated huge amounts of revenue for the crown. Most of the promises made to slaves willing to fight on the British side weren’t kept anyway. Most ended up back in slavery here. The lucky ones escaped to Canada and a few were taken back to Great Britain. In some cases unscrupulous British naval captains promised freed slaves a trip to England but took them for resale in the Caribbean.
I’m not beating up on the Brits, just pointing out some things that have been all but forgotten in American history.
One of the more interesting master/slave stories I’ve read is about George Washington and his personal “servant” Billy Lee. Some accounts I’ve read suggest that Billy Lee was Washington’s most trusted advisor and friend. It was said that George Washington was the greatest horseman on the continent, and Billy Lee was the second.
Obviously slavery was wrong but there was a lot more to it than racism, forced labor, and beatings.
Excellent article!
More good info:
Was the American Founding Unjust? (The Case of Slavery)
http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a377e2d151100.htm
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Bull-puckey. Latin for slave was "servus," which of course is where we get the words "serf" and "servant."
The term "slave" comes from the Middle Ages, when Germans, Byzantines, Venetians, Vikings, Magyars and Muslims all raided the Slavs for slaves.
Incomplete. This was true of the North American colonies and states, farthest from Africa, where slaves were most expensive.
In Brazil and the Caribbean, it was cheaper through most of the slave period to work male slaves to death and buy new ones. They generally didn't want female slaves and a lot fewer were imported to these areas. Slaves in these areas were treated far more brutally than those in the American south.
Dr. Walter E. Williams always points out that he is much better off because his ancestors were brought oer here as slaves than he would be if tehy had not been brought over here.
Even Eldridge Cleaver noted this, in a different way. When he returned to the US after several years out of country on the lam, a reporter asked him why he had returned. “I’d rather be in jail in the United States of America,” h said, “than free in any of those countries.”
BTTT
# 1863 U.S. frees southern slaves through the Emancipation Proclamation
# 1865 U.S. abolishes slavery (The Thirteenth Amendment)[2]
# 1869 Portugal abolishes slavery in the african colonies
# 1873 Puerto Rico abolishes slavery
# 1873 Treaty between Britain and Zanzibar and Madagascar to suppress slave trade [4]
# 1874 Slavery abolished in British occupied Ghana(Gold Coast)[5]
# 1886 Cuba abolishes slavery[2]
# 1888 Brazil abolishes slavery[2]
# 1890 Brussels Act - Treaty granting anti-slavery powers the right to stop and search ships for slaves
# 1894 Korea abolishes slavery[7]
# 1906 Slavery abolished in British occupied Gambia [5]
# 1910 China abolishes slavery[8]
# 1916 Slavery Abolished in British occupied Nigeria [5]
# 1921 Nepal abolishes slavery[9]
# 1924 League of Nations Temporary Slavery Commission
# 1926 Slavery Convention. Bound all signatories to end slavery CONVENTION TO SUPPRESS THE SLAVE TRADE AND SLAVERY (25 Sep 1926)
# 1928 Iran abolishes slavery[10]
# 1928 Slavery abolished in British occupied Sierra Leone[5]
# 1942 Ethiopia abolishes slavery
# 1948 UN Declaration of Human Rights bans slavery globally
# 1952 Qatar abolishes slavery
# 1962 Saudi Arabia abolishes slavery
# 1962 Yemen abolishes slavery
# 1963 United Arab Emirates abolishes slavery
# 1970 Oman abolishes slavery
# 1980 Mauritania abolishes slavery[11]