The Slavery in Latin America Before the 20th Century - Research Paper Example

Lecturer: Outline • Origin of Slavery in Latin America • Early black immigrants in Latin America • Emancipation of all the black slaves in Latin America • Aftermath of slavery in Latin America • Cultures, religions and economic of Black in Latin America • Conclusion The slavery in Latin America before the 20th century In the world historical data, African slave trade began before the emergence of Columbus in the year 1492, arguably by the earliest Spanish and Portuguese explorers who at that time were accompanied by Black Africans slaves. The four past centuries that followed the exploration saw many immigrants from Africa brought to America. But, most significantly, the earliest Black immigrants before those from Africa were the natives of Spain and Portugal. This is reflected in the records of black slavery present in ‘Vasco Nunuz Balboa’ manuscripts during the Pacific Ocean sighting in 1513. The Portuguese and Spanish blacks were regarded as Iberian blacks. Between the years 1501 to 1520 Spain made an effort to shift all the hundreds of Spanish borne Africans (Ladino’s) to America’s mines fields to work as laborers. This impetus led to the demand for laborers to work as slaves (Baepter, 203). In 1518, King Charles I of Spain made an order that Africa should supply the necessary labor shortfalls, but that time the business was controlled by ‘Crown’ who were given all the mandate to import slaves. Until the time of abolition of slavery, nearly about 6% of the 10 million Africans had been brought to Latin America. The period saw the slaves working in plantations producing products to be imported to other parts of the world. Slavery in the Latin America was generally harsh and its impact was felt by concerned parties, but these varied from time to time. Towns, cities and reclaim lands were expanding. Consequently, the Europeans needed more slaves to build cities and establish plantations more than their own metropolitan masses. Slavery therefore, was considered as the most desirable kind of system of labor that enhances productivity (Ardila, 339). A sufficient number of the nature Latin American inhabitants do survive to satisfy a major part of labor demands in new colonists. This led to conflicts between nations, individuals and states. An example is the conflict between the North and the South as a result of political supremacy that was brought about by the emergence of slavery. The south complained that thousands and ten thousands of voters in the North had been brought to support the political leadership in the North. In support of these the democrats wanted to press issues with greater effect and to keep political waters. In the process the compromise was made but each was relieved bit though they disliked the provisions. However, there were more reasons brought about by the issue that one is dominating in acquisition of slaves. The impact of these was felt on other regions like Latin America, Asia and South America (Becker, 456). The early colonial period saw African slaves imported to counteract a further decline in the Native American populations. In the year 1935, throughout Latin America and other parts of Caribbean, the slave populations declined at a more astonishing rate of 2 to 4 % in a year. After the slavery was abolished, the populations in most of the places had become less than the total number of slaves imported. The slavery structure in Latin America society was that of a three tied structure of castles which were divided into further classes. At the top of hierarchy were the Europeans followed by the privileges and rights accorded. The discriminations of the slaves were high, and it led to violation of human rights. The slaves did jobs that were highly menial and unskilled (Baepter, 204). Majority of the Black populations in Latin America spent most of their time in the domestic service and became agricultural laborers. Others were sailors, slaves, artisans, housemaids and street vendors. Slavery therefore was not only a form of labor organization but also an economic enterprise; it was a socioeconomic complex that was purely held together by laws and customs. But due to the harsh treatments and discriminations regardless of conditions, majority of slaves sought for freedom by revolting. The history of slavery in Latin America saw more masters intentionally manumitting their slaves. A scheme where slaves purchased their freedom was started, and this was dominant among the urban women slaves who benefitted from voluntary manumissions and self purchases. Because of the slave trade that had taken an important role in the New world economy during the period between 1600-1850, the concept of free persons who had to travel willingly from Africa to Europe was overshadowed. The result of these activities was a free slave society among Latin Americans where the population did rise rapidly outnumbering the slaves. This further encouraged campaigns against slave trade (Ardila, 340). By the end of the 18th century, Latin America’s particulars of general emancipation of all the black slaves had began to emerge as a preoccupation of all the slavery societies. The emergence of missionaries in the 18th and 19th centuries led to campaigns against slave trade as they became more critical about it. This was because slavery was becoming uneconomical due to the plantation system which had become a wasteful undertaking. In 1780s slavery had been attached directly and indirectly from different sources. A bill was established that was designed to restrict the number of slaves that are to be carried by means of ship; this was one of the measures of discouraging the number of slavery entering Europe or Latin America. The campaign to abolish any slave trade further created a wider campaign called anti-slavery society of 1823, which preached the ills and demerits of international slavery trade (Ardila, 340). After the emancipation process, the black society inhabitants of Latin America were provided and created to enjoy the rights of entire freedom like that of their white counter parts. Other rights were dependant on their respective numbers, occupational/economic roles and a % degree to access any political power. Majority of places in Latin America had relatively a small percentage of black population who were genetic and culturally integrated with other Native American or white -creating more obvious ethnic distinctions. In later years, people of mixed African, European and Native American ancestry did cease to be counted to be black. There was an increase in prejudice against the blacks and among the Latin Americans which led to a rise of pseudoscientific racism. This led to an increase in popularity of social acceptance of the black populations. Thus, the Latin Americas nations did adopt a number of laws prohibiting black immigrations to Latin America and other parts of Europe in the later years of the 19th century (Becker ,460). Towards the end of 19th century, there was the assimilation of Latin populations which witnessed the prevalence of intermarriage that precludes a number of historical development of a two tiered society, and a racially mixed colored group. But a race mixture in Latin America becomes too complex for easy categorization with the coming into contact between the Europeans and indigenous Americans. This changes the socio ethnic complexity. In later stages when slave collapsed, majority of the governments did compensate the ex-slave owners. One particular thing among the black population in Latin America was that they were able to retain some of their original cultures and customs. The African Americans did learn deep impressions of literature comprising of the best legends tales that were purely African in Origin. At later stages, themes resulting from slavery became common among the black literature writers. The result of these was when majority of black men died and Afro- women would be married by Europeans immigrants leading to loss of ethnic identity (Baepter, 203). In conclusion, the slavery in Latin America was of both positive and negative impacts. The slave impacted negatively on most blacks who were brought as slaves as they suffered from all kinds of discriminations, abuses, torture with some of them succumbing to death due to the inhuman treatment. Black slavery was being exploited in the mines and plantations, where they lost their rights and freedoms. However, slavery later impacted positively on the black society as they were recognized and they became part of the society where they enjoyed their respective rights. As a result, inter-marriages took place leading to the emergence of Afro American community. The old assertions about the biological based intellectual inferiority of certain ethnic groups particularly the blacks in Latin America in 19th century have caused a concrete harm of psychological nature that has become a hard problem to remedy. The consequence is insecurity with respect to one’s own intellectual capacities and consequently a reduced inclination to deal with intellectual matters which results in an actually reduced performance as a result of prejudice. This has led to reinforcing the black youths in Latin America among one another not to struggle for high intellectual performance and bring those into discredit who try anyway because they allegedly try to imitate the whites and this is termed as lack of solidarity (Ray Lee, 415). In support with a number of archaeologists and historians It is clear that in this context the continuously repeated affirmation that the biologically based inferiority of the blacks is not prejudice but a scientifically proven truth must have a devastating effect. Works cited Ardila, Ruben. Political psychology: the Latin America perspective, Political Psychology, 2001, Vol 17, No. 2, pp.339-351. Baepter, Paul. White slaves, African masters: The ANNALS of the American Academy of political and social science, 2003, Vol.588, No.1, pp.90-111. Becker , Marc. Mariatequi, the Comintern, and the indigenous question in Latin America, Science & technology, 1988, Vol.70, No.4, pp.450-479. Ray Lee, James. The abolition of slavery and the end of international war, international organizations, 1989, Vol.43, No.3, pp.405-439. Read More