Why did the white people enslave the black people not the opposite??

Question

Why did the white people enslave the black people not the opposite??

Answer 1

These people are right. Until the campaign to abolish slavery got underway in the beginning of the 19th century, slavery was virtually universal. It was very widespread among Native Americans. Usually slaves were prisoners of war, or people who had been captured during raids (women and children were preferred; in the heat of battle the men were almost always killed).

When Europeans got to Africa in the 1450's, they had ocean going ships and Africans did not. People on the west coast of Africa had iron, bronze, brass and fabrics, but they didn't have mirrors or much in the way of glass, swords, guns or gunpowder. Guns and cannon gave coastal chiefs enormous advantages over inland chiefs who lacked these things.

Blame it on technology, and a racist ideology.

Answer 2

Whites struck first...plus we had more resources and food etc due to decent climate and so we advanced quicker...making us more evil if thats the right word for taking slaves

Answer 3

Technically speaking, Africans also held slaves at the time.  Not to take away from your grief or deserved reverance.  

I love the music and culture that came of this, while appreciating the culture of your interpretted African roots.  I am white, but I was born with a beat, and I'd like to thank the men and women who were kidnapped to America for this.  

God help me.  God help you.  Uh, AMEN

Answer 4

Whites used white slaves before they discovered blacks. And black village chieftains sold their own into slavery - people didnt just get off boats and say "You, you and you, get on board" - there was co-operation with the village elders, in exchange for goods and gold.

Answer 5

Slavery was pretty much a global constant prior to the  twentieth century, it's still all too common now.

White Romans enslaved Northern Europeans, Europeans also ended up as Arab slaves on the Barbary coast. Vikings had white slaves, it's where the word 'thrall' comes from.

The only reason so many black Africans ended up in America was because Europeans dropped like flies from tropical diseases, and they believed Africans were resistant to them. They desperately needed labour for the plantations in the Indies. Add to that the pre-existing slave trade running on the West African coast, and the local African Kings were more than happy to sell as many slaves as they could.

It was driven by economics, pure and simple. If Europeans weren't so susceptible to tropical illnesses they'd have transported our own criminals and poor out there.

Answer 6

Because they were lazy and would stop at nothing to not have to do their own farm work.

Answer 7

what a dunce -- GUNS!

Answer 8

Your question implies that all whites were the sole slaveholders of the blacks. That is very very far from the truth. Not only were white slave holders in the distintt minority of slaveowners  as well as blacks, the distinct minorities of enslaved peoples, but hisotrically the two were not the only master/slave marriage that existed on earth. As a matter of fact races in all sorts of arrangements , enslaved one another. The white/black relaiionship certainly does not have a monoply on this. However in recent history I would agree that it is the predominant one that comes to mind. Have you ever heard of sexual enslavment ..This is definitley an ongoing problme now in the 21rst century riight amongst all of us. Not only here but in the Orient as well . The Middle East is famous for enslavement both historicaly and in our own centruy...Those people who are empowered often lose a sense of worth toward those who are conisdered of lesser value. LIke the caste system that we so often hear about in the Near East.....Call it what you want but it is a fact of human nature One that we do not necessarily have to be proud of , but that is undeniable. Big fish eats the little fish if you will. Northern (industrial societies)over the Southern (aggragian societies). Might ofver Will. It is a blot-stain on humankind and I dobut it will ever go away. Only through education/compassion can  we ho pe to ,at the very least , make inroads into this barbaric behavior of ours.  I do believe that we are in fact educated enough to know right from wrong but we severely lack the compassion needed to put an end to this sort of behavior. I am sad to say that the mindset that allows for enslavement of one people by another is flourishing strongly in our time sand I do not see any thing on the horiazon that makes me beelive it will soon come to an end. . ALl we can do as individuals, is tryour best to treat all those we come in contact with as our equals and deserving of the same respect that we ourselves wish to be treated as.

Answer 9

Here in Arabia, although many blacks were slaves, slavery had nothing to do with race/color. They had white slaves black slaves turk slaves and so on.

In your questions you say you arent racist but you kind of try to imply white supremacy over blacks.

Just to help you get that thought out of your mind, yes races and people arent always the same and identical, but its hard to claim supremacy because theres so many factors.

Hypothetically speaking, if there was a race that seemed to have a natural instinct towards teamwork, they'd be stronger as a group than others who are say, more intelligent as individuals, but lack the ability to work in teams compared to the first group.

So are individuals in group one are better than group two? Or group two is better than group one?

See where that type of logic leads to?

You cant think in absolute terms, everything is relative, and we are all human, and complete eachother.

Answer 10

The slavery you appear to have in mind was the transatlantic slave trade. It was really a blip on the history of slavery. In fact it appears there are more slaves today then at the time of the civil war.

Slavery was a going concern since civilization began. It was accepted with little protest (excepting the slaves)

One of Columbus' first actions was to enslave some of the people he met. One of the list resources of the New World was that the people were easily made slaves.

In America slaves arrived a Jamestown and were seen as a solution to a labor shortage. The Triangular trade (rum to Africa, slaves to the Caribbean and sugar to New England) became enormously profitable.

As was pointed out, Africans were sold by their chiefs, captured by slave hunters (either Moslems or those from other tribes) It was the British that finally found fault with the practice and worked to end it.

Regrettably slavery still exists. Arguably it's not whites enslaving blacks

Answer 11

It is not the case that all cases of slavery have been by white of black.

The Egyptians held the Hebrews in slavery for example.

In England hundreds of years ago the rich had serfs, which were really slaves by another name.