What was Slavery?

The plantation owners in America did not have enough people to work on their vast plantations. So, slave traders brought slaves from West Africa to do the hard work on the plantations in the American South, this is according to Randy P, Johannesson B.,  and  . Slavery is an example of extremely brutal behaviour. We have seen that slavery existed in Africa long before the continent had any contact with Europe. But when Europeans began to colonise different parts of the world, the nature of slavery and the slave trade changed. The form of slavery, introduced by Europeans, was called chattel slavery. Chattel slaves could be bought and sold just like cattle (from which the word chattel comes). Slaves that were taken from West Africa to the Americas where they:

 • were treated as a piece of property that belonged to their owner 

• were treated as if they were not human beings 

• were treated with extreme brutality 

• were slaves for life and their children became slaves too 

• were forced to work for their owner 

• did not receive wages 

• had no rights

Activity:

Instruction: 

Read the following scenario and write a narrative essay based on the questions provided for you below.

Question 1.

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Imagine you are a young person living in Africa in the 18th century. You have been captured by slave traders and are being transported across the ocean to a distant land. Write a journal entry or a letter to a loved one describing your experiences, feelings, and hopes. 

Consider the following questions:

- What was your life like before you were captured?
- How were you taken and by whom?
- What are the conditions like on the slave ship?
- How are you being treated by the slave traders?
- What are your fears and hopes for the future?
- What do you miss most about your home and family?

Write a narrative that brings your story to life, using sensory details and emotions to convey your experiences.

Rubric: 

- Creativity and empathy in storytelling (10)
- Clarity and coherence of writing (5 )
- Use of sensory details and emotions (5)
- Historical context and accuracy (5 )