Blog One

            Throughout my academic career I have come across numerous books and excerpts about slavery. Each time the notion that human beings are capable of such horror continues to elude me. Tannenbaum considers it part of human nature and declares that slavery is not exclusively a white man’s idea. He gives prime examples of other cultures that have practiced slavery and have in turn been enslaved themselves. (Example: Spaniards)  Although I don’t entirely agree with his theory that it’s part of human nature, I do agree that most of the time it stems from power and greed. “Slave and Citizen” is unlike any other reading I have encountered on this topic. Personally, it enlightened me by describing the juxtaposition of the Northwestern and Southwestern hemispheres.

            I used to have a very broad understanding of what slavery entailed. I always focused on the treatment of African Americans in the U.S. and assumed it was about the same elsewhere. Tannenbaum gave examples of the opportunities Negroes where given in Colonial Brazil and Other regions. He also explained that one of the main points of divergence between the Anglo and other regions was their opposing views on manumission. In Latin America they were huge supporters of manumission while in America they were vehemently against this idea. Americans went out of their way to make laws and find loopholes to place limitations on any attempts at freedom.

            Another idea introduced by Tannenbaum is that African Americans basically built the new world. In other references to Negro Labor they mostly focus on the hard labor such as cotton picking and working plantations. However in areas such as Argentina they actually did handled all the labor including the most artistic jobs. I was surprised to learn that they were artists, musicians, cooks, construction workers and they helped build entire cities. The fact that these enslaved people were responsible for all the progress and growth of the new world is amazing to me. Yet, only in certain areas where they actually able to participate in this society they helped shape.

                        The most significant difference between the two slave systems comes down to moral issues. Latin America, Spain and Portugal were involved with slavery for their own benefit and to profit from the huge cash flow it created. They did it because they were eager for power and they used their religion as a scapegoat for guilt. In America and the British West Islands slavery existed for the sole reason that they genuinely believed African Americans were not human beings. I agree with Tannenbaum’s belief that if we were capable of this evil before then it will likely rise up again. It might not be to the same degree or last as long but I believe it is possible. On the other hand I also believe that now we have enough sense to not let it ever escalate to such horrible proportions.