The Beginning of African Slavery: Atlantic Worlds

Introduction:

• The Plantation Complex: For every European who crossed the Atlantic, there were two Africans, with 99.9% enslaved. Large farms produced commodities like sugar, tobacco, and indigo, functioning as extensive slave labor camps.

Slave Societies:

• Historical Context: Slavery has been a fundamental part of human social structures for millennia. Europe had its own slave societies.

• Roles of Slaves: While many slaves worked in the fields, others held skilled positions, such as tutors or secretaries.

Slavery before the Atlantic:

• Chattel Slavery: Slaves were legally treated as property ("chattel"), completely at the disposal of their owners.

• Justinian’s Code: A key Roman legal document affirming that slaves were entirely under their masters' power, typically taken from conquered lands.

• Non-Racial Basis of Ancient Slavery: Originally, slavery was not racially based.

• Serfdom: Serfs were bound to the land under a feudal lord but had certain rights and could not be sold separately from the land.

• Viking and Northern European Slavery: Vikings also practiced their form of slavery, which, like serfdom in Northern Europe, declined due to societal shifts from events like the Black Death.

The Early Slave Trade:

• Timbuktu and the Songhai Empire: Slaves often came from the outskirts of the Songhai Empire, primarily non-Muslims captured in wars.

• Trans-Saharan Trade: The first major slave trade route, where Muslim traders transported Sub-Saharan Africans.

• Integration into Society: These communities were not slave societies but societies with slaves where slavery was integrated into the broader social structure.

• Portuguese Expansion: By the 1140s, Portuguese traders reached Africa to capture slaves, initially used for domestic labor and not central to the economy.

• Maritime Slave Trade: By the 15th century, the slave trade expanded from overland routes to maritime routes, increasing the scale and reach of slavery.

Shift to the New World:

• Labor Shortages in the Americas: High mortality rates among native populations and ethical dilemmas around enslaving Native Americans led Europeans to look elsewhere for labor.

• Justification for Slavery: The "Just War Theory" rationalized that it was acceptable to enslave prisoners of war as an alternative to execution.

• Influence of Religious and Ethical Arguments: Figures like Bartolomé de las Casas advocated for the humane treatment of natives, influencing laws like the New Laws of 1542 which sought to improve conditions for the indigenous enslaved.

Notable Figures in Early American Slavery:

• Juan Garrido: A West African man who was sold into slavery, gained his freedom in the Americas, and eventually owned slaves himself, illustrating the complex social mobility possible at the time.

• Juan Valiente: An African who remained a slave while gaining status and wealth, illustrating the blurred lines of racial and social hierarchies in early colonial societies.

• Estevanico: An enslaved Moroccan who became famous as an explorer in the Americas, showing the diverse roles enslaved individuals could play.

Conclusion:

• By the late 1500s, a system of domination based on slavery was firmly established in the American continents, marking a significant transformation in the economic and social structures of the New World.