Does anyone know the truth about how slaves came about?

Question

Is it true that the black men from Africa sold them to the white man? If so, why are white people considered the oppressors?

Answer 1

You mean slavery in the colonies that became the US? Check out the link below...it gives an excellent short history of slavery.

Also, white men were considered oppressors NOT because of slavery, but because they continued to refuse to give freed slaves any type of rights what-so-ever. People of African descent were denied thier basic rights until the Civil Liberties movement...At least, that was what I was taught in a course I took. The use of the term "oppressor" came after slavery ended.

Answer 2

Not all white people are considered the oppressors, only those that build a society based on slave labor and/or participated in the slave trade. I would include the black men from Africa who participated in the slave trade as oppressors also. The fact is that the US took a hundred years after the end of slavery to enforce legal equality for the descendants of slaves, and they still have not achieved social equality. We must take responsibility for our own actions and act personally to correct the remnants of the past if we want to live in a county that has liberty and justice for all. Who sold who to whom more than 200 yeas ago does not matter.

Answer 3

Yes, throughout a lot of world history it was customary that the conquered tribes/people in a war became slaves of the conquerers. This was particularly true in the Middle East and Africa. The fact that there was such a European market for slaves exacerbated the problem and encouraged African tribes to go to war even more. And yes, some people even sold their own children into slavery - some actually believed that it would result in a better life for them.

So there is plenty of blame to go around.

Answer 4

The truth:

Europe and African dealt with each other for centuries. Racism only came about to JUSTIFY slavery.

Slavery was in SOME African tribes. Mind you, the form of slavery practiced among these Africans was more like indentured servitude. Like they were enslaved because they owed debt, or they did something wrong. But they were still treated like people.

Then came along the Europeans who witnessed this kind of slavery, and they sent them along to their American colonies. Then came the evolution of 'chattel slavery' where the person isn't viewed as a human, but the person is now just property, like a mule or a horse.

Also, the reason why African slavery is particularly insidious: say you go to another country and conquer their people, and have since taken over their land. These people of your newly acquired territory are now conquered, and you punish their resistance by making them slaves. That's what the Romans did. But Africans? They weren't a conquered people, and they weren't aquisitioned through a war.

Answer 5

Believe or not you're somewhat correct.
They sold their own family members into
slavery. Only they didn't know at first that
it was. The first people to trade in slavery
isn't who you think it is though. Do a little
research and you'll discover it was the
Portuguese who first enslaved Africans.
The difference between them and the early
Americans is that they were treated more as
equals but were still used as cheap labor.
Much like how the U.S. uses Mexicans today.

Answer 6

Because we held, beat, and bred them as work horses. I have no trouble understanding it, myself. However, I hate being called the oppressor. My family has a European history. In fact the Irish in me have a longer slave history than African Americans.

Please, black people. Don't think all white Americans come from slave owners.

Answer 7

Yes, this is true as far as I know.

They consider white to be opressors because white folks were their long term owners.

Throughout the history, it was common practice in many countries to have prisoners of war as slaves, no matter what race. Also, it was common to enslave those who were poor and not capable of paying taxes (withing the same country)

Answer 8

Slavery started shortly after corporate America invented the credit card. Credit cards were used to trick people into spending money they could not afford to repay. Thus creating a need for us to work hard everyday, for less then desirable wages in order to pay Corporate Master inflated interest charges.

Answer 9

i don't know a lot about the topic but heard a portuguese man had the idea of enslaving black people. this made me feel weird because i have black blood and portuguese blood

Answer 10

Before whitey came, yes, slavery was very common in Africa. It's been documented by many historians. That doesn't excuse the crackers, but it doesn't let the coloreds off scott-free either.