Worked to death on American plantations?

Submitted by LAFN (United States), Mar 16, 2007 at 16:59

Kofi,

The typical slave on an American plantation was not worked to death. Why do you think there is such a large diaspora in America? Is there anything comparable in the Middle East? No, because so many African boys were castrated and many of the men were killed in village raids, as well as a preference for women rather than men. You also might not have survived the castration, as it is estimated that there was a 10% survival rate. Many eunuchs had evident mental imbalances as well.

Would you be surprised to hear that whites toiled in the fields of the present US along with blacks as indentured servants under tortuous conditions in early colonial times? The first blacks that came to the colonies came as indentured servants, hence you have blacks owning other blacks. Native Americans owned black slaves as well. Let me recommend a book for you. It is titled 'Africa and Africans in the Atlantic World, 1500-1900'. The author is John Thornton. It is a story of strength and vibrancy in spite of slavery.

Happy reading!

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