Capitalism and Slavery essays

Capitalism and Slavery essays The book Capitalism and Slavery, by Eric Williams, is a very informative but emotionally binding book. Throughout the book my emotions are mixed and my views of the truth about the middle passage and the triangular trade are slanted. I am forced to create my own conclusions about the dynamics relating capitalism and slavery. When one thinks of slavery, only the most cruel and harsh thoughts come up. Pages 13-17 show the grim truth about how the slaves had to live and serve. (pg. 16) The status of these servants became progressively worse in the plantation colonies. Servitude, originally a free personal relation...(now) a control... over the bodies. It is disgusting how the treatment of the slaves becomes even worse over time. The type of treatment to where they are being traded and living on these huge boats so tightly packed with only a small place to lay and rest and hardly any food. Why couldnt they be treated better, be compensated with food, comfort, religion, family? (pg. 19) Kidnapping in Africa encountered no such difficulties as were encountered in England. This argument makes me sick; kidnapping the African people and transporting them for somewhat free labor (except feeding, fuel for ships, and equipment.) No matter where in the world, events like this cannot happen because it is cruel to the future of a race, the current people of the race, and the humanity of the people. Here, then, is the origin of Negro slavery. The reason was economic, not racial; it had to do not with the color of the laborer, but the cheapness of the laborer. Again, it was nothing personal, but it did end up bringing the Industrial Revolution which then abolished slavery. I still feel it was wrong to enslave a large part of the African race solely to advance in Industry. The introduction to Chapter Two discusses monopoly and how many merchants missed out on a free trade syste...