Slavery And Its Effect On The Uprising Of A New World Essay -- Slavery

â€Å"Slavery and Its Effect On The Uprising Of A New World† In the 17th century, Africans were taken from their homeland and forced into slavery in the New World. Once there, they were exploited for profit by European settlers. Despite mainstream historical accounts, it was African-Americans who built the foundation of the American economy, which eventually made it a super power. This essay will illustrate how Blacks survived in a hostile, racist environment by specifically looking at the psychological and physical brutality of slavery. The Portuguese were the first to embark upon the slave trade. Africans were snatched from their homeland and sold as slaves to the islands of the Caribbean and the Americas in the early 1500s. A prime area for slaves was on the west coast of African. People inhabiting this land were well known for their skills in agriculture, farming, and mining. Slave traders knew that by capitalizing on the mastery talents of these Africans they could become wealthy in other parts of the world. The Spaniards, the French, and the Dutch soon became part of the slave trade, and because of this, slavery grew to exponential proportions. The typical voyage for slaves taken by European traders started down the south coast of Africa into the Gulf of Guinea. They traded African slaves—human beings—for goods such as cloth, rum, brandy and guns. Then they would start on the second leg of this inhumane excursion. When the desired number of Africans was met, they shipped out to what is now known as the â€Å"Middle Passage†. These ships sailed from Africa across the Atlantic Ocean to one of several ports in the Caribbean and West Indies and slaves were bought and sold to work in sugar plantations. The English sla... ...ere often times forced to stop nursing their own infants at the breast and serve as a wet nurse to the master’s newborn. Regardless of age, picking cotton, more than any other activity, engaged all slaves – from the youngest to the elderly. House servants, too, were not excluded and would be drafted into the picking fields, probably to serve as a reminder of their position and equal status to the other slaves. In summary, the labor of African slaves built the foundation of the thriving economy the people of America, and across the world, reap the benefits of today. The label in our t-shirts and the soft, comfortable sheets we tuck our children in at night should read, â€Å"Made in the USA by AFRICANS†! The blood, sweat, and tears of our ancestors built this country and made it what it is today – one of the largest, if not â€Å"the† largest, super-power in the world.