The slave trade from western Africa to
We all know the horrific story. Approximately 11 million Africans were taken from their homes and families. They were forced on ships, where they were chained to each other and not even allowed freedom to use the bathroom or even given medicine if they became sea sick or suffered from diseases. Although an exact number of deaths on these ships can not be determined, you can rightfully hypotheses that millions died during the 250 year slave trade.
Those who survived the grueling middle passage were then sold into slavery, where they lacked personal freedoms, were subject to inhumane conditions, were victims of violence and rape, and then forced to work without pay. The free labor associated with slavery laid the foundation for American financial success. The harsh treatment and distain of the slaves laid the foundation for continual mistreatment of African-Americans through Jim Crow laws and all other ills of segregation.
The sad reality is the State of
A biracial and bipartisan group of
Interestingly enough, republican Governor Sonny Perdue has not shown much leadership or support of the apology bill. He’s taken the stance that he’s not sure if the
Honestly, I’m not surprised by Gov. Perdue’s lack of enthusiasm. After all, he is the same person who ran for governor on a platform that if elected, he would push for a popular vote that would allow Georgians to vote for the Confederate Battle Emblem, a symbol used by the Ku Klux Klan, as part of the state flag of
2 comments:
Most mainstream historians agree that the slave trade was an economic boon for Africa. The slave traders did not raid African villages to capture slaves. They purchased slaves from powerful African tribes. There were actually transporting the loosers in Africa's incessant tribal conflicts rather than the best and the brightest.
Eleven million spread over a period of 300 years is not a very significant population loss. Remember that we are talking about an entire continent, not a single nation. Mexico, by comparison, looses hundreds of thousands of its citzens to the United States each decade.
African Americans are beneficiaries rather than victims of the slave trade because they enjoy a much higher standard of living than Africans whose ancesters were not transported to Mexico.
Blair thanks for you comments; however, I disagree with them because although a number of slaves were sold by tribes, historians also acknowledge that an even greater number of them were in fact taken from their homes and families. Historians also acknowledge those taken weren’t just convicts, but rather everyday people who if given an opportunity could’ve been future leaders and positive contributors to their African village.
Don’t let the length of time blind you to true evil of the institution of slavery. Regardless of the 250 year time frame, 11 million people wrongfully stolen from any area are a significant amount of people, and 250 years is a long time for such an evil to exist. Eleven million people forced to work without compensation, lacking civil rights, and subjected to human rights violations is horrible, regardless of the length of time.
African-Americans like any other race living in the U.S. benefit from being in America because we’re a world power; however, the way African-Americans arrived in North America was wrong.
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