New World Slavery

8/29/17

New World Slavery

- Slavery is one of the world’s oldest institutions
- Only in 15th century that slavery was linked with Africa
- New World Slavery Is different in four major aspects
o New World slavery was based on racial distinctions
o New World slavery was permanent
o New World slavery was seen as the lowest status in society
o New World Slavery was purely for profit

Why Africa?
- African was very vulnerable when Europeans showed up
o political fragmentation
- Africa was easily navigable
- High birth rates

The Middle Passage

- Between 1500-1900, 16-20 million Africans to the New World
- About 2 million died during the New Passage
- 2-4 million died along march to confinement on African coast
- over 300 slaves forced into slave ships for weeks