Writing an In Depth Slavery Essay
May 2nd, 2010Before writing a competent essay on the subject of slavery, it’s best to understand exactly what slavery is. To many people it is simply a cut and dried issue of white people owning black people at the beginning of the Untied States history. To write a slavery essay, using only that tiny crumb of history would be like using a recipe with only one ingredient when it called for many. It is vitally import to research essay topics and compile a correct list of information.
Slavery has been around, in every culture, from the dawn of human civilization. Ancient tribes made slaves of those they defeated in battle. In Biblical times, many groups of people became slaves for a number of reasons. One reason was losing a battle or a war. Another was living in an area that had been taken over by a greater force. Some people were actually sold into slavery because they had committed a crime, voiced a political opinion or had angered their own family. Slavery has always been used against the weaker by the stronger. An accurate slavery essay would present that aspect. This can help build a strong argumentation essay or analytical essay.
As a method of profit-making, slavery was very popular with Muslim pirates during the 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Tribal chieftains would sell some of their own members to the pirates for profit. African tribes would fight with other tribes and sell the losers into slavery. The pirates who purchased or kidnapped the new slaves would send them, via slave ships, to the New World to work in the fields. Human beings were sold on the auction block for whatever price they would bring.
The Maori tribe also owned slaves during the same period. Their slaves were white and raised as cattle are today. They worked for their owners and were even killed as a food item for celebratory meals! A good slavery essay will take the time to look into various cultures and devise a worth while product.
Slavery is still alive in the modern world. Some tribal cultures still use prisoners as slaves. In Muslim countries their women are considered slaves and treated as such.
During the American colonial period, slavery was a fact of life for both hapless blacks and whites. Indentured servitude was a form of slavery practiced in European countries. Indentured servants had been convicted of minor crimes and sold to the highest bidder as a slave/servant until such time as the new owner decided to set them free. It might be months, years or never, depending on the owner. Many Americans bought these indentured servants rather than buying slaves since there was no language barrier and the price was a little lower.
Not all the original colonists were slave owners, of course. There was no slavery in most of the northern states, and black people not only voted but held political office at that time.
As you can see, slavery is not necessarily about race. It has been practiced by people of all colors throughout history, and is a crime against humanity regardless of who the owners or the slaves are. So writing a slavery essay isn’t as simple as it might appear on face value. Information on slavery in all it’s many, ugly forms can be found in history books as on the internet. Research is the key to writing and understanding the subject of slavery and writing an effective essay.
