Slavery in the Caribbean Essay - 1086 Words

Slavery in the Caribbean The beginning of slavery in the Caribbean can be traced back to the emergence of piracy in the 16th and 17th centuries. This eventually led to the promotion of slave trading and sugar plantations. While enslaved on the sugar plantations, slaves were treated very poorly. Plantation owners treated their slaves so poorly that most were undernourished and diseased. Slaves were even forced to work on their spare time to provide for their own needs. Needless to say, slaves encountered cruel punishment that we can’t even comprehend. The slaves however, continually resisted white supremacy causing much tension between the two social classes. Despite this, a new social class was emerging, the free coloureds. This†¦show more content†¦In addition, slaves had to produce for themselves. Plantation owners were quite interested in reducing cost and they did so at the expense of many slaves. They overworked slaves tremendously and even made them produce their own foods to cut down o n export expenditures. However, slaves had to do this in their own free time which was on Saturdays. Quite disgruntled, slaves had to work everyday, and on their day of rest, they were forced to work extra hard to produce for themselves. The planters perceived it in their interests to spend as little money, time, or energy as possible on slave maintenance (Tomich, 304). Disease and malnutrition led to a declining slave population. Malnutrition played a crucial role in preventing slave societies from continuously getting bigger. Coming from Africa, most of these slaves were exposed to the tsetse fly and therefore, seldom did they eat meats. Milk was consequently excluded from their daily diets and this might be why there is much lactose intolerance among African descendants. This left slaves with minimal options in what they ate. In addition, not only did food availability fluctuate seasonally, but slaves experienced long periods of hunger during and after hurricanes, droughts and war (Beckles, 172). One can conclude that because they could only eat maize and a few other foods, slaves were deficient in the necessary vitamins and minerals. These deficiencies would in turnShow MoreRelatedSlavery in the Caribbean2119 Words   |  9 PagesThe period of slavery was characterised primarily by one protracted war launched by those enslaved against their enslavers’ (V. Shepherd). Discuss with special reference to the anti-slavery activities of enslaved Africans. Ra’Monne Darrell Gardiner 410004250 Caribbean Civilization Professor C. Curry University of the West Indies November 23rd, 2010 â€Å"Where ever there was slavery, there was resistance† (University of the West Indies 86). Before the arrival of the first AfricanRead More Caribbean Slavery Essay878 Words   |  4 PagesCaribbean Slavery Starting in the seventeenth century, the European colonization of the Caribbean changed drastically as exploration gave way to exploitation. As the great wealth that the Caribbean held became more evident to the European colonizers, a rush of profit hunters stormed the area and flooded it with slavery. The massive introduction of slavery as the major form of labor organization in the Caribbean changed social organization radically. The plantation system thrived and expanded throughRead MoreSlavery On The Islands Of The Caribbean890 Words   |  4 PagesSlavery has existed throughout history and has yet to become fully extinct. Slavery is when someone else (human) has ownership of another human. In the ancient world slavery was very popular and not perceived as something wrong. The main source of slaves was prisoners of war. 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Along with the obvious human rights benefits that the Haitian Revolution achieved, there were some serious setbacks for the nation as well. Between 1783 and 1789, Saint Domingue was the foremost sugar producer in the region, but by the end of the war the economy was completely destroyedRead MoreEssay on Religious Justifications of Slavery in the Caribbean3525 Words   |  15 PagesReligious Justifications of Slavery in the Caribbean The doctrine of Christianity grants eternal life to all persons who accept that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and choose to follow him. Such a statement leaves little room for interpretation of the scripture itself. Nevertheless, the nineteenth century Christian churches of the Caribbean Islands created a racial distinction between humans which determined who could and who could not be granted eternal life through the Christian faith. ThisRead More The Social Impact of Slavery on the Caribbean Society Essay1336 Words   |  6 PagesThe Social Impact of Slavery on the Caribbean Society In order for us to understand the Caribbean, we must acknowledge the tremendous social impact slavery placed upon the islands. We must not only consider the practice of slavery dating back to the indigenous peoples, but from what the introduction of the African slave trade did to the islands economically as well as culturally. In this paper let me reflect on slavery in the Caribbean not from an economical standpoint but, from the racial or