what are the causes of slavery and how could a slave become free?

Answer 1

How they became a slave...
It will depend on the era... In recent years it has been a racial difference. One group feels itself superior to another and forces that other group into slavery, and because the slaves are viewed as at least lesser if not inhuman, it is the norm that they are abused.

In the Ancient World, however, things were different. One, is that anyone could become a slave. Usually it was the result of going into debt, being captured by a stronger army during wartime, or displeasing the government in power. Treatment was not good, but some slaves would actually have better lives then others.

How slaves are freed is generally one of the few things that has remained constant. One is that an invading army can incite slave rebellions in areas where slavery is in practice, the Germanic invaders of the Roman Empire relied more on disgruntled slaves, who usually joined the invading barbarians, then they did on their own powers, and of course, the Union Army during the Civil War. People can free them in their wills, which was common in the Roman world and done by both Washington and Jefferson.

For Roman Gladiators, there was a special way to earn one's freedom. The most victorious gladiators who were the most pleasing to the crowd won their freedom after winning a certian number of matches and were given a wooden sword that represented their freedom. There is no comparable thing in the more recent forms of slavery as Christendom largely (and rightfully) found the Gladiatoral games to be rather barbaric.

Answer 2

Slavery where and when? The Roman Empire? In Egypt during Moses' time? In medieval China? Early America? Slavery existed all over the world in some form or another for thousands of years, but worked very differently in different countries ane eras. In some cases slaves or servants were esentially tied to the land, in other cases they were tied to the owner. You need to be more specific....

Basically, slaves were a way for ancient civilizations to have wars and not kill everyone they defeated. They could put prisoners to work.

Answer 3

The southern planters needed cheap labor that was not available to them. Slavery was the answer. Slavery had been a common practice for 1000s of years. A slave could buy his freedom, he could run, and sometimes was set free by his owner for a variety of reasons.

Answer 4

Slavery is caused because one person wants another person to do work for him, and instead of working out an equitable arangement, he just forces someone to do it. Depends on the slave on how to become free. In America, at first they had to work so many years, then they made it so even that wouldn't bring freedom.

Answer 5

Well most slaves were either captives of war, some how in debt to his/her master, child of a slave or an combination of the above. Most slaves got their freedom from working of their debt or paying for their freedom (financially), or some were let go through war, as in some one else would come in and set them free, but that happened rarely.

Answer 6

our for fathers looked at slaves as tools to pick crops like cotton and other cash crops , and slaves cuold buy themselves out of slavery. by paying their masters for themselves.

Answer 7

It was over a hundred years ago....can we drop this subject now???