What is Slavery?
Slavery refers to a condition in which individuals are owned by others, who control where they live and at what they work. Slavery had previously existed throughout history, in many times and most places. The ancient Greeks, the Romans, Incas and Aztecs all had slaves.
What does it mean to be a slave or enslaved person?
To be a slave is to be owned by another person. A slave is a human being classed as property and who is forced to work for nothing. An enslaved person is a human being who is made to be a slave. This language is often used instead of the word slave, to refer to the person and their experiences and to avoid the use of dehumanising language.
What does it mean to be a Chattel Slave?
A chattel slave is an enslaved person who is owned for ever and whose children and children's children are automatically enslaved. Chattel slaves are individuals treated as complete property, to be bought and sold.
Chattel slavery was supported and made legal by European governments and monarchs. This type of enslavement was practiced in European colonies, from the sixteenth century onwards.
As we enter our unit on Slavery, I want to hear your thoughts, curiosities and responses to the idea of enslavement. A fruitful discussion here will help shape the focus of our inquiry. Of course, slavery will deepen our analysis of the foundations of race and the development of racism but I hope that our viewing of Wanda and John's genealogical stories connect us to the reality of the slave experience and to the way that history is lived and constructed. Elizabeth Banks (Wanda's descendant) certainly complicates the racial history of slavery...but who said that the story wasn't one of profound complexity?
40 comments:
Let’s first begin with an understanding of what Enslavement is. Enslavement is the action of making someone a slave. Slavery is an economic system in which people were used as property and were controlled. The african americans did not have any rights whatsoever during between the 18th and 19th century. I feel like slavery is so wrong under every circumstance. No matter what race anybody is, nobody deserves to be put in a position like the african americans had to. Every person no matter what always deserves a chance at life. The african americans were bought and sold at birth so they can be enslaved. The african americans never even knew what it felt like to be at life with freedom. They couldn’t even refuse to what they were told or there would be consequences. Its a real ashame for people not to treat all races equal. But the question is, why were the african americans slaved? What did they do to deserve this harsh act? It has been said that African slaves who were also called the plantation owners is that they could more easily be bought from traders on the West African coast and were more immune to European diseases than Native Americans or imported white slaves. So the real reason for African American Slavery was because Africans made better slave labourers than the Indians of the West Indies and North America because they came from a much more advanced type of society and were often skilled artisans. Slavery existed in Africa, but not the chattel slavery introduced by Europeans. Africans usually enslaved other people but not really to their own ethnic group. Slaves were taken as prisoners of war, in payment for debt or as a punishment for a crime. To meet the growing demand from European traders, there was a marked increase in the numbers of wars, raids and kidnapping of individuals. This is some basics of how slavery became and how the african americans were affected by this act of harsh punishment.
Tianna Boccuti said
My thoughts about Enslavement and Slavery seem to be exactly the same thing no matter how you word it. It is taking a human being and stripping them from every right they have. Nobody should have ever been allowed to do this to another human being. I am totally against it and it really angers me that people were allowed to do this to other people and treat them like animals for their own needs. I feel as though these people who had slaves were heartless human beings with no regard for anyone but themselves. I could have never done this to someone else no matter what the circumstances were. It was cruel and mean. I just don't understand why it was allowed to go on for so long as it did and no one could do anything to stop it. The only hope these slaves had were to escape and when they did they were tortured to the point of death. I understand that slaves were taken as prisoners and sometimes for payment but it still does not give anyone the right to make someone their slave to do whatever they want for their own cause and to torture them and strip them of their freedom.
Enslavement is the relationship that a slave has with his/her owner. This relationship is based on social status and power. Slave owners had total power over their slaves. Because of their inferiority, slaves had no rights and had no voice in their society. They pushed themselves to their limits on a daily basis and were still considered inferior while their owners just threw around commands. It is difficult to picture how one human being can have control over another just because of their race. It is especially difficult to imagine the conditions of chattel slaves. These people were enslaved for life and because of their social status, their children would have to live the same lifestyle. A lifestyle of knowing that they were just property in the eyes of their so called “masters,” a lifestyle of knowing that their voices would not be heard and a lifestyle in which they could not escape.
As we watched the video “Finding Your Roots – John Legend and Wanda Sykes,” I was surprised at some of the content in the video. I would have never guessed that free African Americans would literally buy their families into slavery to protect them. It also shocked me that they were able to sell their families into slavery to their white masters until a certain age. It confused me because in my opinion, I would have thought that if you were a free African American person, you would just live a normal lifestyle and not dare put your family in enslavement, knowing how awful it was.
Another concept that surprised me was when the narrator stated that whenever an African American is born, he/she would follow the status of his/her mother. This confused me because even though many African Americans were slaves, males still possessed a higher status than females did. Even so, this was a law, so it had to be obeyed. To Wanda Sykes’ ancestors, this law was very beneficial. Elizabeth Banks, Wanda’s 9th great-grandmother, was a white servant. After her period of serving, she became a free woman. She had sexual intercourse with an African American slave and bore a child named Mary Banks, who (because of her mother’s status), was a free child. This very interesting to learn because this was the reason Wanda’s ancestors were one of the few African American families that were free.
Overall, I believe slavery is such a cruel act. To take the freedom of an individual and use that as your personal property is awful. I cannot imagine what not only African Americans but all slaves must have gone through each day of their lives. It must have taken so much strength to put on a smile each day but in the end, slavery proves that the true heroes of our past were not the people who were given credit for passing a law or who ruled a land. The true heroes of our past were the backbones of society and the people who worked until they were not able to and those people were slaves.
There's is a difference between enslavement and slavery, but the two are still wrong in my opinion. Slavery is much worse than enslavement but no matter what, no one should have been forced to be either. Enslavement is making someone out to be a slave while slavery is actually being a slave and being sold. I think both ideas are wrong and should have never existed. These people who were slaves or being enslaved had no rights. They had no freedom. It's hard to imagine chattel slavery. Slavery and enslavement could eventually lead to freedom but chattel slaves had no hope. None of this is fair and it shouldn't have occurred.
I think enslavement, the act of depriving someone of their freedom, using them as servants for horrible tasks and sell them for a profit, is a terrible thing to do towards African Americans. Time between the start of slavery and the end of it seem like the time “Humanity turned Dark.” Because of the color of skin White Americans enslave African Americans as if they’re monsters, if anything the ones who enslave were the monsters. During that time Americans wanted to sell slaves so much that they would go into states where slaves were free and kidnap them like in the Polly case. The treatment for slaves and African Americans were just as worse. Those years of slavery had to be mankind’s darkest hour. Racism occurred from all this from beginning to end and still occurs today. Slavery is one of mankind’s ultimate errors that still has its consequences.
Slavery is one of the worst institutions in the history of this world. Slaves had no rights no freedom no life and no identity. People back then seemed to just turn a blind I that these people we humans and treated them like property which was very wrong. Chattel slavery was the worst I would say because you were born a slave and stayed a slave forever and your kids were slaves and just to imagine that is horrible. I am just glad today that we have gotten rid of slavery in America.
By James Nicholson
Already having prior knowledge about slavery, I understand the basics of enslavement. The first word that comes to mind is dehumanizing. The Europeans took away the rights of the Africans and left them to work for the same people. It's even worse for the children who were born into slavery, not knowing freedom or what happiness that could bring.
They were sold and bought but worthless to all Europeans, used for labor and their master's wants and needs. They were treated like nothing but if they were taken away, meant everything. It's physical and mental abuse.
I'm curious about the underground railroad, about the many stories of the slaves who attempted it. I also wonder if anyone stood up for what was right, white or black, and what happened to them if they did.
In my opinion, both slavery and enslavement are wrong, but they both are different in their own ways. I think that they are both wrong because it is not right to force someone to work against their will. One quote that stood out to me was when John Legend mentioned that “Slaves are still human beings even though that’s not how they’re treated”. Everyone is entitled to their rights and their freedom, but that’s not how slaves are treated. I think that slaves are treated/told that slavery is their only way of life. Also, being a chattel slave must have been hard for people because they lived their lives knowing that their children and granchildren would automatically be slaves. I believe that slavery is wrong and it should have never taken place.
I think that Enslavement was such a cruel thing to put people through. No one should have ever been put in that situation. The story that really shocked me was the story of Peyton and his family. You think you have escaped from slavery and you're free then people capture you in the middle of the night, separating your family. That had to be so hard for all of them. However, in the video, it was amazing how these researchers could trace Wanda and John Legend's family tree going back so may years. In conclusion, everything about slavery was wrong. Everyone should have the right to be free.
I believe that slavery didn't just put African Americans in shackles physically, but mentally as well. To be a slave, strips you of your rights, dignity, and self-worth. Slavery to some people is obsolete and no longer in existence, but I believe that slavery is when people are marginalized because they're poor is a form of slavery. I believe slavery is when children are destitute of schools because you want to tare them down and build jails instead. Lastly, people will always be enslaved as long as we support leaders that don't care about the common wealth of others. My curiosities about this course is. Why did freed African Americans own their own people as slaves? and Why did white slave owners free their slaves if they endorsed the idea of slavery?
Enslavement is the act of making someone a slave but slavery is the economic system in which people are treated as property. I think the idea of slaves and anything to do with it is just wrong. Being a slave basically means you have no freedom. What is life without freedom? One of the saddest parts about this is some people are born into slavery and don't even get a chance at freedom. The fact that people were being dehumanized and stripped of any humanity/freedom that belonged to them was just horrible. I could never think of doing this to a person, let alone doing it so I don't understand how people went through with this and were able to live with themselves. The fact that slavery still occurs today angers me more because I don't see an attempt from anyone to stop this let alone an action that actually worked. One of the craziest stories I've heard so far about slavery was Peyton and his family from the roots video we watched in class. I think everyone should start taking action to stop slavery/enslavement because everyone deserves to be free. How would you feel if you were the one being enslaved?
I think that slavery is owning someone and taking away all of their rights to live with their own free will. It is also degrading the worth of human lives. It is hard to empathize with them because we live in this country where we are free to think and speak for ourselves. They had to listen to their owners and it was hard to go against them. Slavery was never right from the first place because it is cruel and definitely not fair. Everyone should think or speak for themselves and have the freedom to believe or dream about anything. The video was interesting and it shows that you can trace back your ancestors to even before the civil war. But, I was surprised when I watched the video that African Americans can own African Americans slaves. How did that happen? This makes me think that slavery is not all based on race. Overall, I think that slavery is just wrong and is a cruel way to take away someone's freedom.
Anthony Grillo
10th grade
11/16/14
Enslavement is the action of making someone a slave. Enslavement occurs because the people of higher social status have to show their superiority. The owners of the slaves usually give them no rights and they aren't considered citizens. Slaves work their butt off all the time and are "inferior" while the owners just lounge around and give them comands for their next "job" (in quotes because they don't get paid). Your superiority should have nothing to do with your race. Everyone should be given the chance to prove that they give meaning to the world. Out of the slave types, chattel slaves are the most unfair. Being born into slavery is horrific. You could put the next smartest person in the world right into slavery and that person never gets the chance to reach their full potential. Enslavement, is wrong, and you especially shouldn't be forced or born into it. Everyone has meaning, you just have to give them a chance to figure out what it is.
After we watched "Finding Your Roots"- John Legend and Wanda Sykes, I was shocked at some of the things that I heard. One of the things was that Wanda's 9th great ancestor, Elizabeth Banks was a free white person that fell in love with a black man. They got arried and had a clild named Mary Banks, that was black, but since of her mother's status, she was s free black and she owned slaves!!! A black woman owned slaves! I was shocked because I always thought that slavery had to deal with the color of your skin but I guess the color doesn't matter, just as long as you are free.
In conclusion, I believe slavery is an unnecessary asset to society. A human being should not be dehumanized by being forced into slavery. Everyone has a purpose in life That's why GOD gave us a spot on this Earth. Show your true potential and end slavery for good!!!!!
Enslavement is the act of stripping a human of their freedom. All rights have been taking from that person and it's mostly descendants of the African American race. Any type of enslavement is wrong because your taking away someone's freedom. In the video with Wanda and John and when they traced back to find their ancestors you see that many people were enslaved. Many of are ancestors probably were enslaved that we don't know about. We today have freedom so we really don't know the feeling. Everyone should be free ; what's life without freedom ? Slavery was a cruel act that caused people to be tortured and caused them to suffer. Slavery is something really important to be looked at and that's why I can't wait to start this unit on slavery so that I can learn more about my ancestors.
The act of enslavement is cruel and completely uncalled for. A human being IS a human, a person, NOT a toy or an animal. Slavery was, for lack of better words, stupid. Honestly, if you had to have someone else doing all of your dirty work, you were weak and should've been looked down upon. To own a human and treat them like dirt is beyond uncalled for and it shouldn't have ever happened. I hate that enslavement was even a thing because you really took everything away from that person and that is so sad. The film Finding Your Roots really gave me a different look into slavery though. Most people assume their family came from a long line of slaves and mistreated ancestors but you never know. Wanda Sykes didn't know that her 9th great-grandmother was a free white woman which led to her family having a long line of free slaves. We also neglect the fact that there were not only African American slaves or that there were not only white slave owners. I would definitely want to look into that more because it is different and interesting to me. All in all none of these things should have took place.
I understand that slavery means is a human being as someone’s property and being forced to work for them for life. Slavery doesn’t have to be only used for African Americans. Slavery is used in many ways in life today and in our past. People who were slaves would get heated by their masters but by doing this they would get so afraid they wouldn't have the courage to use their voice to stand up for themselves. I was surprised how slaves can have a relationship with the white servants even though if they have kids they would be safe that was mention in the video we had saw about tracing our roofs. We still have slavery today because people would get kidnap and be working for the kidnapper for anything. Sometimes people today who kidnap people would trade them for sex. It is true that people would be used for sex for slavery. Slavery causes racism because of how people would use it sometimes for against the people who have different nationally or religion. Slavery isn’t right at all and people should do something about this because slavery is still happening and nobody isn’t doing anything about it. If nobody stops it, slavery will be here forever no matter what in life.
- Olivia Siegel
Enslavement is the action of making someone a slave. Make someone as slaves just takes everything from them, stripping every right they have. Human equal Human. No one should have been put in that situation. I think the idea of slavery should NEVER be exist in this world. It's illegal to force someone and making them as a slave. I don't understand why back in the day, people think it's cool to own slaves. People should feel ashamed of themselves to think that way. It's just wrong and against human right. Whatever they are African or any race, they deserve to be treated better than slaves. I argue with I argue with Tianna, I don't understand why the slavery was allowed to go on for so long as it did and no one could do anything to stop it. Slaves have no freedom. The owner takes every right from them and control their life. When they tried to escape, they got tortured worse than death. It's just horrible to put a human being and torture them because their own freedom. Chattel slave is the worst. Not only being a slave but the newborn child is a slave.No parents want their kids to live a life as a slave. It's more hurt to see their own child have to live a life of a slave than being a slave.
Enslavement means the action of making someone a slave. Slaves were property, and were viewed very lowly. Even if you were free, it wasn't like you were free. You could be taken either into slavery or back to slavery at any point in time. Which brings the question, "Are they really free?" But then if you look at free blacks, even some of them had slave of their own. Which I believe definitely something to think about. Why would a free black want to own a slave? To me that just seems morally wrong.
Slavery is the sense of forcing
someone into the state of captivity both physically and mentally, limiting their choices of free will and chance at their own lives that they barely even own themselves. It is inhumane and other than the obvious benefits that the owner of the slave receives, it does not have any positive aspects. Just imagining the idea of not even having a choice or say as to what or how you would like to live your own life is simply horrible. In terms of physical captivity in slavery, the slaves are forced to work against their will without any hope of escaping, unless of course, the owner lets the slave go. In terms of mental captivity, the slaves are also forced to be placed into the state of mind that their only purpose of life is to serve their owner and that they have no right to dream or wish upon further ambitions.
After the video, "Finding your Roots" and discovering the past history of John Legend and Wonda Sykes, one thing in particular really stuck out to me. It was when they discovered that Wonda Syke's ancestors owned slaves their selves and this triggered the question of "what would motivate an African American into owning their own slaves, whom which were also their own people as well?"
In my opinion, slavery existed due to arrogance and lack of knowledge. But now as the world has expanded it's knowledge of technology and mechanics, people have realized that a steam engine works harder, longer and more efficient and it usually doesn't run away from it's owner. It existed due to arrogance because there was this idea of one man being superior to another and he was in this exaggerated sense of his own importance and abilities over another person's.
Unfortunately, slavery still does exists in many forms today. In places in the Middle East, immigrants are brought over to serve as housekeepers and are virtually imprisoned by their "employers". They have no money, no rights and their fates are entirely in the hands of people who often abuse them. So quite evidently, slavery is still very alive in our modern day lives, which is a very sad and disgusting reality. In conclusion, slavery is when someone is being forced to work against their will. I wouldn't say school is a very good example for this idea because you do have a choice on whether or not you would like to become a responsible and successful adult in life and you're choice in that will of course affect the outcome of your future. The idea of choice is simply inexistent to a slave and they are set to be captivated in the state of mind that their only purpose of life is to serve and provide satisfaction for their owner.
By Neary Narom
Slavery is the institution of owning slaves. Slavery has existed since the beginning of human history. There have always been humans who have controlled the rights of other humans. People are bought and sold to other people and are treated like property. Enslavement on the other hand is different. Enslavement is the relationship between a master and a slave. Enslavement is much more complex than slavery. Enslavement not only physically binds you, but you lose your self worth. You’re nothing but a piece of property, the same as land or a chair.The relationship can get complicated like we saw in the video with Wanda Sykes and John Legend. Even a slave owner is a human being susceptible to feelings. They can grow to like or even love their slaves. In the video we saw how the owner set the slaves free when he died. This shows he obviously cared about his slaves that he wanted them to be free, even if it was only because he was dead. It was also interesting how the slaves bought their family members. Even if it was to be with them, it is interesting to see a slave take part in the slave holding. It is very thought-provoking to think about slaves and slavery as the simple concept of owning someone else, because there is so much more to it. And I can’t wait to learn all about it.
What does it mean to be a slave? What does it mean to be enslaved? What does it mean to be a chattel slave? The literal definition to be a slave is to be owned by another person. A slave is a human being classed as property and who is forced to work for nothing. The literal meaning of an enslaved person is a human being who is made to be a slave. The literal meaning of a chattel slave is an enslaved person who is owned for ever and whose children and children's children are automatically enslaved. Chattel slaves are individuals treated as complete property, to be bought and sold. In my opinion these three words have three totally different meaning. Obviously they correlate due to slavery. For Example a slave is someone who is LEGAL property of someone. This sticks out to me because the thought of legally being owned by someone and them being able to call you their property is just unfathomable. I could't even understand why that is or ever was okay. Just because a person is a different race than you they are less than you? Enslavement is ridiculous to me. The act of a human being being made a slave correlates to the person being made as property. They are being forced into harsh labor and possibly beatings. The thought of chattel slavery is just a picture of how inhumane humans can be. To sell and buy another person like they are property just shows how money hungry everyone was. And besides that they weren't even sold together most of the time the father was took completely out of the picture. Like in John Legends family his ancestors were taken away from each other. And had to be brought as slaves just to be with their family again.
I believe that enslavement was a way to make a race feel inferior to the world. Putting people down and using derogatory terms to make them feel like they are trash is no way to treat any man or woman. Just because the tone of a person's skin is "different". But skin color wasn't the main reason of enslavement. And enslavement is really just taking people away from families and stripping them of their freedoms. No person should every go through life as a slave. Even babies get taken and it's the worst case and the children may not even know of their roots. Slavery is a horrible thing and it's horrible that it is still going on.
Enslavement is to forcefully make a slave of someone. Notice how the use of the word "forcefully" means there was no chance given. If given the word slavery, very often will people have or say the same definition.
Slavery is a condition in which a human being is being held my another. As many others would agree, neither of these words or definitions have a positive view in our minds. For example, Tianna said "my thoughts about enslavement and slavery seem to be exactly the same no matter how you word it." The following sentence she uses is "It is taking a human being and stripping them from every right they have." I am also one of those many people that agree with this. I could not of worded this better myself.
During the "Finding Your Roots" video, I was so amazed how Wanda's ancestor was the reason why her family after generation to generation were not enslaved. If your mother was not a slave, her children were not slaves. If your mother was a slave, you were automatically a slave, including your children's children. For a reasonable time, I said to myself why would families previously slaves, continue to have children. Then, the idea of enslavement came along to my head, along with the word "forcefully' which i previously used. However, I believe that these laws were only passed/placed in certain area.
In conclusion, slavery along with enslavement is cruel and wrong. Your fate can already be determined within years before you were born. This is wrong and should not be presented with a positive influence. What would be your purpose to live? To work and serve others all your life? To not have a say or even a voice? The answer is yes. This is what your purpose to being born would be.
When I think of slavery, I feel sad, angry, sickened. I feel sad because there were so many familes torn apart, so nahh peoples who lives were destroyed;Only becuase the color of their skin. I feel angry because I can't comprehend why someone would want to own, control and destroy people. People who are human, people who without skin are exactly like you, poeple who can feel, feel the same feelings of pain, loved, disappointment, and happiness;Just like you do. I feel sickended thinking about the exploitation, degradation, and abuse that occurred to the people who didn't deserve it. No human should have to go through that. I wish that the morals, and acceptance we have today existed then, so that humans didn't have to become slaves.
In this course I want to learn what fuels hate, what can cause a man to yearn to own another man. In this course I want to learn who put the idea that owning a man, and thinking of him as nothing but property is okay?!
What does it mean to be a slave or enslaved person?
It means you're the belonging/property of another. You aren't treated with respect and are referred to as an object.
I am very curious, as to why Elizabeth Banks (Wanda's descendant) owned --black-- slaves, when she herself (and others) was black. I wonder was she as cruel as other --white-- slave owners were? Or did she treat them well, and only owned slaves to fit in? It bothers me that I probably won't ever get the actual reason. A chattel slave is very harsh. Being a chattel slave punishes an entire bloodline. It doesn't even give the unborn a chance/option.
Gíovonna Jernigan
To be an enslaved person is to legally be considered the property of another person. In the eyes of the law, you only exist to serve others. This practice is completely inhumane, yet it has existed for centuries, and still exists to this day in other parts of the world. Chattel enslavement takes this concept a step further: not only is an enslaved person enslaved for their whole life, but their children are doomed this fate as well. Not only does slavery do an injustice to those it affects, it is an injustice to life itself. One's purpose in life should never be to serve and please others. Our lives are meant to be our own, and just our own.
When I think of enslavement I always ask myself, why do others feel comfortable enough to make people feel unwanted and low? What made them okay with classifying themselves as more important? Everyone is equal and are human. The story that stuck out most to me was about Wanda's ancestors and how they were freed then became slave owners. Did they treat them as they were once treated? Was everyone treated equally? I feel like as slaves, they lost themselves. Everyday they were called hateful, nasty names and beaten. It was either they do or die. So much innocence was taken during slavery times and it's sad to know. No one ever did anything but try and live. But because of their race, I guess living and being who they were wasn't good enough. Just like how we were questioning if Africa was a dark place, saying that slavery times was a dark place would be easy to say. The big question I really always ask myself is, what did the slave owners and helpers of the slave owners ever get for doing what they did?
Slavery is a system of economy where people mainly Africans were used as a way to have them work instead of people living in that country already. It was mainly occuring during the 1500s to the American Civil War. The people from Africa and the Africans who lived in America, France, British Empire just to name a few nations. Every race deserves to experience life and equality. In Communism, we never EVER mess with other races depending on the race you actually on. These people had to farm, mine, and do other work related things. Slaves couldn't say "NO!" to those who tell them what to do or else major consequences would occur. The Africans never knew what it is or what it felt like to be living in freedom. What I mean is that Washington D.C's Lying Capitalist Regime should of had "Freedom of Race" in their constitution meaning the Africans should have the freedom like the whites in those times. Africans were brought from West Africa, mainly Today's Nigeria, Mali, and the Maghreb. Slavery also existed during the European Colonization because the slaves were forced to harvest Africa's resources for Europe and alleged the United States. Slavery also existed in Uganda when the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army Joseph Kony forced African Children to be used as child soldiers. The same reason is alleged for the USA-Israeli-Saudi-British-Qatari backed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. It is said that their are pictures of child soldiers holding ISIS flags. Slavery as well existed during the Libyan Civil War when the Al Qaeda backed National Tradition Council of Libya forced black skinned Africans to fight along side the NTC against the Libyan Government under Muammar Gaddafi. In America, the "Dixie" States were for slavery while the "Union" states were free states. The Confederacy tried and failed to force the Union to become 100% Slavery States. Slavery is still existing today and it must be stopped in order to restore the world the way it should be.
I think that both enslavement and slavery mean the same thing even though they are two different words. They might have to different meanings, but owning someone and creating someone just to make them your slave are both irrcredibly unacceptable. Using the word enslavement instead of the word slave does not mean that they have two different meanings, and one is more right than the other. Being called a slave is one of the worst things you could possibly do because, being owned by someone means you have no freedom of speech, religion, or any other rights. I think being a chattel slave is absolutely the worst thing you could ever be, for you and your future children. Being a chattel slave means you are born already a slave, and every child you have will also be a slave to your owner. In my opinion I think being a chattel slave is worse than being a regular slave/ or being enslaved. It would be worse because you are already forcing your next generations to have to go through what you are going through, and for being a regular slave even if you make it to the age of ten without becoming a slave, that would be ten more years than the chattel slaves would have gotten to be free.
Any type of slavery is stripping a human being of their rights. To make someone a slave of your own is to steal the life, dignity and freedom of a person who is just like yourself. As many as my peers said, it is dehumanizing. In most cases, slaves are not even looked upon as humans anymore. It's not there fault that they're in the situation that they are in. That they get treated like dirt. Why did they deserve the fate that they received? Are slave owners even considered humans after owning slaves and treating them like farm animals? Slave owners cannot even look past their own noses to notice the suffering that they are causing onto many other humans like themselves, but I guess they don't see it since they do not even recognize slaves as humans. It's DEHUMANIZING.
Slavery is when individuals are owned by others, who control them. But when I think of slavery I think of having no control over myself, robotic almost, do as I say, hopelessness, locked in with no way out. It's so sick that slaves were treated like dogs. They had no say in what they could do, they had to listen to their master. It's a shame because no one will ever know how it felt to be in slaves shoes.
To be a slave means to be owned by someone. Being a slave is almost like a social class. But being enslavement is the act of making someone a slave. A chattel slave is the worst of them all to me. A chattel salve is an enslaved person, who if they have children, and if their children's children have children, then they all are automatically enslaved. They are treated like something you buy at a store, they're to be bought and sold. You buy them, you own them, they're now your property. Chattel slavery was supported and made legal by European governments and monarchs around the 1600s.
In my opinion I think slavery was just outright wrong. No one should have control over your body, period. Masters were so disrespectful and rude, they didn't care. No one should ever have to go through what slaves went through. A good movie that's theme based off of slavery is "The Help". It explains the basis of how slaves were treated and things from the slaves/maids point of view.
Slavery is generally a terrible thing but in some instances it is not just Whites whipping Blacks in a cotton field. In most cases slaves were mistreated, abused, raped, and kept in terrible conditions. It is kind of interesting though to think that some slave owners weren't as brutal and that even some free black people owned slaves.
I think that slavery is what shaped the world, it is literally what built it at least. Understanding this still leaves a bitter taste and embarrasses me too think people let such things occur. I'm excited to dig deeper into this history and cannot wait find answers to questions that are raised.
Enslavement is the act of taking away a human beings rights and making them do work for you without any kind of compensation. It is a terrible idea and I think it's crazy what people do to try and advance past others even if it means enslaving someone to do the all of the work for you. Enslavement in my opinion is just a way for someone to feel higher in power over someone else. African Americans weren't the only ones enslaved before, enslavement has been around since probably the beginning of man. Slaves have been used to build massive buildings, gather crops, and to do really whatever was ordered for them to do. They weren't asked, they were told to do something and had no choice in the matter because they had been bought or captured. Slavery has left many confused about their family history because so much could have happened if you were enslaved. It destroys people in every way possible and leaves them hopeless. For one human being to do this to another human being is extremely low.
Slavery has long existed in this world. I really wonder where the idea of enslavement came from. Was the act of owning someone really moral back then? And how did it begin? From what I know, slavery was very common in the past and according to history, the most common target seemed to be the Africans. Why? Because they were a vulnerable target because of their lack of strength in weapons and also technology. Therefore, Africans were captured in order to become enslaved under a master. Does that seem right? Definitely not to me. Africans were literally kidnapped and sold back and forth to do the dirty work of the oppressors and superiors. The act of enslavement is just very sickening to me overall, violating freedom. Slavery is a human owning another human. Similarly to how a human owns a dog. In the case of slavery, the human is a slave master and the slave is a, dog. Of course slavery still exists today, but it has become less practiced. Times are different now. In my opinion, I believe that as long as one can feel inferior and superior, slavery will always exist. Overall, we see the superiors as enemies. However, from what we saw from the enslaved ancestors of John Legend and Wanda Sykes, John's ancestor was freed from his slave upon his death and Wanda's had been free since the act of her ancestor having a child with a white servant. In these rare case senarios, slaves were able to be freed even before the civil war! I'm very curious to learn and explore the deep dark depths of the enslavement of Africans.
I feel like slavery today is definitely an immoral act, but as we all know long ago it was most likely to see people own slaves. One of my questions are was it just the white people who owned slaves? Also was it just the Africans who were slaves? Were there different mixes of nationalities as slaves besides Africans? These are only a few of the many questions I have on slavery. Being a slave and being enslaved are two totally different things though. Being a slave you had an owner sometime later down your life, but being enslaved means that someone made you to be a slave. A chattel slave is a branch of an enslaved person, and is a slave forever as well as their children. I don't think slavery was the right thing to do in the past, but I wonder where would our country, no, this world be without it?
Slavery is very interesting. You own someone and forced them to obey you. Why? They're humans too but why are they treated as someone lower? Slave owners are no different than slaves. I would think slavery is similar to being a servant, but it seems to be more forceful. Why do people think they could just own others? Some reasons could be that they own something or as punishment, but slaves from Africa in the Americas were enslaved without their okay. It interests me on how humans think they could just take other humans and force them to do things for them.
written by Claire Miller
I believe that slavery is a world problem that is terrible and devastating in my opinion. I didn't realize that it was still going on today but after some research I realize 37 million people are affected by modern slavery. It affected most cultures in the world.
unfortunately, I don't really have any strong opinions about it. I believe that it was wrong and inhumane to treat people like that and enslave them. so the question remains why it still exist today I think we should be doing something about it.
I think slavery and enslavement are too different things. They are both horrible and should be stopped but from the looks of the world now days that doesn't seem like its going to happen anytime soon. I think that slavery is when you become a slave. I think that Slavery is when someone has control over you but you still kind of have an opinion. Slavery is kind of having a maid to do stuff for you but you treat them poorly. Also in slavery you sort of have a choice to be or slave or own a slave. Slavery is nothing compared to enslavement. Enslavement when you're born into slavery. You do not have a choice when it comes to enslavement. Both enslavement and slavery should not exist. Besides enslavement you also have chattel slavery. Chattel slavery was about the worst type of slavery. Slavery was a type of slavery where you basically had no right to know they treated you like animals and they treated you like you were not a human and you have no opinion and they didn't care about you. Out of the three Chattel slavery is the worst to be associated with. But no matter what we should try to stop slavery and enslavement. These are just cool ways for people to torture us and take our power and lower our self-esteem. We are already look down for being Americans and having slavery and all the other crazy stuff in the world going on we need to leave stop something.
Enslavement is making someone your property. Which is wrong and inhuman slavery is simply like a maid or a butler. Your a human and your own human but you work and delicate your elf to another. Chattel slavery is the worst. You are owned by another human being! Which is evil and wrong and must be stopped.
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