Slavery in “A Brief History of the Caribbean”

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There is no use denying the fact that the issue of slavery is a very important question which should be studied for people be able to understand its origins and aftermath in order not to repeat the same mistakes again. That is why, there is a great number of different works devoted to this very issue. Slavery was practiced all over the world, however, there were regions which suffered from this issue most of all. That is why, the history of America is always connected with this issue and the works, which study it, have a great number of pages devoted to the analysis of slavery, its roots and its influence on the life of people and further development of the country.

Nevertheless, even in America, which could be characterized as one of the greatest areas where slaves were used, there were regions which were known as the places where the number of slaves was extremely high and the whole society was based on the issue of slavery. The Caribbean region was the area of this sort. Being famous for its sugar plantations, it was also known for a great number of black slaves who had to work there and promote development of the region.

That is why, it is not surprising that the book A Brief History of the Caribbean by Jan Rogonzinski also investigates this issue. There is a great number of the authors thoughts connected with the question of slavery, its roots and its unique character, which was formed under conditions of the islands where slaves had to work. Additionally, the author also wants to show some peculiarities of the mentality of slaves for a reader to understand the issue better. With this in mind, it is possible to analyze the book and the authors point of view comparing it with some other ideas presented in the works of other authors.

First of all, it is possible to outline the origin and the roots of the Caribbean slavery. Jan Rogonzinski in his book states the fact that slavery and its spread over this area was the result of blistering development of sugar industry. The climate of the Caribbean basin was ideal for this culture and very soon it became the main region where cane was cultivated. Europeans appreciated this good very much and due to this fact more plantations needed to fulfill the need of continental Europe.

Taking into account the character of these lands, the author states the fact that it was impossible to satisfy the demand for the workforce with the help of colonizers or local people. Additionally, the character of the work supposed hard labor and people from the continent were not interested in it. With this in mind, importation of the workforce was the only solution to existing problems. Moreover, there were regions where people for these works could be easily obtained.

That is why, the book A Brief History of the Caribbean states the fact the slaves were imported to this region mainly due to the great number of sugar plantations which created great demand for the workforce. Taking it into account, it is possible to say that the whole issue of slavery, peculiar to this region, is analyzed within the framework of sugar industry and attempts of the owners of these plantations to obtain cheap, though, strong and enduring people who will be able to perform different kinds of jobs.

Being quite clear and logic, this version though is not the only point of view on the issue and some objections are possible. Herbert Klein and Ben Vinson in their book African Slavery in Latin America and the Caribbean also investigate the issue of slavery, though the region is bigger. That is why, they take into account not only conditions of the Caribbean, but Latin America in general. Resting on this fact, they do not consider sugar plantations to be the only and the main factor which influenced great development of the issue of slavery on these islands. The authors tend to show that the stage of development of human society and beliefs of people who lived in Europe, combined with the ways in which colonization of America was performed, influenced creation of the unique phenomenon of the Caribbean slavery (Klein and Vinson 98).

The thing is that the Age of Discovery was characterized by a great influence of dominating noble class which determined the character of society. That is why, such issue as slavery had already existed in Europe. Additionally, new areas, where people could be obtained, were discovered. Taking into account the fact that it was impossible to replace working people from Europe to America because of the lack of workforce on the continent, blistering development of slavery was the only way to deliver working people to America. Besides, conditions of these new lands should also be taken into account. It was impossible to count on the natural growth of population as there were not enough settlers to fulfill the needs of rich and noble people who came to these lands attracted by new opportunities and possibilities for personal growth.

Moreover, it was impossible to transport great number of people across the ocean because of the capacity of ships which existed in those times. Additionally, each travel across the ocean was a risky issue and people could die during the voyage. Taking into account the fact that peasants were the property of rich landowners, they did not want to lose them. With this in mind, slaves became an ideal solution as they were cheap, they did not belong to a certain person and conditions under which they were transported were much worse that conditions for people from Europe. With this in mind, it is possible to say that a great number of sugar plantations was not the only reason of the blistering development of slavery in the Caribbean basin. Society of the Age of Discovery was unequal and needs of the dominating layer of society were the most important.

Being interested in high incomes with comparatively low losses, they promoted development of slavery as the cheapest way to find the workforce. Additionally, the character of these lands should also be taken into account because the natural growth of the population was comparatively low and immigration was the only source of the appending of human sources.

However, the issue of low birth rates among slaves, who lived in the Caribbean basin, is also touched in the book. The author states the fact that “death rates among Caribbean slaves always were much higher than birth rates” (Rogonzinski 126). There was a great number of factors which influenced low birth rates there. Rogonzinski points out that it could be connected with the poor conditions which were peculiar to sugar plantations and hard labor which slaves, no matter males of females, had to perform. It obviously had pernicious influence on the health of women who were able to give birth and, due to this fact, birth rates were low. Kenneth Kiple in his book The Caribbean Slave.

A biological history also gives this idea. He also takes into account horrible conditions under which slaves were transported from Africa on the Middle Passage. Very often, slaves were taken to Europe at first and then to America. It is obvious, that these trips were very difficult and risky, though they were complicated by horrible conditions. Resting on these facts, it is possible to say that women were not able to give birth. Additionally, men were also influenced and a great number of them became sterile (Kiple 87).

That is why, black people were not able to give birth to a child. However, Rogonzinski also suggests another point of view, which states that slaves did not want to raise children understanding their fate and seeing no point in creating another slave for their master. However, this version seems to be rather doubtful. It is rather difficult to suppose that people, who lived in that period of time, were concerned with such issues.

Segregation and social injustice were usual phenomena in those times. That is why, it is difficult to suppose that people could think about their children from this perspective. The life of peasants at the beginning of the Middle Ages was not much better, though their birth rate was rather high. That is why, this version seems to be not quite logic and plausible. Moreover, one more fact should be taken into account. Population looses in the Caribbean were also the result of exceptionally high rates of infantine mortality among the slaves (Richardson 66).

Conditions, under which slaves lived, hard labor and the absence of any qualified medical service resulted in a very low chances for an infant to survive. Richardson states that these facts could serve as characteristics of the British, French and Spanish Caribbean (Richardson 66). That is why, it becomes obvious that even if slaves did give birth to children, their chances to survive were extremely low. Due to this fact, Africa became the only source where new workforce could be taken.

Rogonzinski also states the fact that Africa was the main region from which slaves came to America. In his work, he underlines the fact that more than 12 million of slaves were transported from Africa to different regions of the New World (Rogonzinski 131).

The author underlines the fact that this region in Africa became the main area for the development of slavery because of the easiness of the access to human resources. This idea is also suggested by Klein and Vinson in their work African Slavery in Latin America and the Caribbean. They tend to think that the fact that America was discovered later than Africa was doomed the last one to be the main supplier of the workforce for the new lands (Klein and Vinson 34). Africa was discovered many years ago and people, who lived there, traditionally were taken as slaves. Even the period of Antiquity was characterized by such attitude towards African people. That is why European countries had the area with the aligned mechanism of the enslavement of people.

However, until America was discovered, there was no need in a great number of slaves as the demand for workforce of the industry of Europe was satisfied by local people. Besides, new lands promoted the appearance of new branches of industry and blistering development of the demand for workforce. That is why, African people had no chance. Additionally, local kings and people also influenced development of slavery taking it as the way to enrich themselves or get rid of some undesired people. Additionally, there is one more fact which should be mentioned. African people were much more enduring and prepared for the conditions which awaited them on sugar plantations. It was obvious that environment, in which they lived, influenced greatly qualities which these people obtained.

That is why, African people were more prepared for hard labor and horrible conditions of sugar plantations. Additionally, these people were already raised with the idea of the dominance of white people. Leading European countries had already had their colonies in Africa by the time America was discovered Due to this fact, people who lived there, were influenced by the idea that they should obey their masters and slavery was the usual practice. Additionally, changes in the mentality of people, who lived in Africa, could be taken as the roots of their exploitation in America. In A Brief History of the Caribbean the author states the fact that “by the 1750s almost nine of ten men and women were slaves on all the islands were sugar was grown” (Rogonzinski 125).

However, there were no serious conflicts or rebels on these islands. It is obvious, that soldiers had to control slaves. Though, Bergad suggests the idea that mentality was the main factor which restrained slaves and appearance of the signs of disobedience or different manifestations of dissatisfaction (43).

Being raised in similar conditions, people did not believe in possibility of better life or some changes for the better. Additionally, the power of slave owners and planters was absolute on these islands. With this in mind, different and severe punishment were used for delinquent slaves for the rest of them to understand uselessness of disobedience. Governments created laws to protect planters and their interests because they were interested in the products which were manufactured on these lands. The only thing these people could hope was their transportation from plantation to city where life of slaves were easier as they had to perform some other kind of activities.

Having analyzed the book A Brief History of the Caribbean by Jan Rogonzinski and the issue of slavery in the whole, it is possible to make certain conclusion. First of all, it should be said that the author tends to show readers that the issue of slavery had unique character on the islands of Caribbean basin. To prove his statement the author gives several reasons. First of all, he underlines a great number of sugar plantations and great demand for workforce as the result. Being not able to satisfy this need with the help of natural growth of population because of horrible conditions, planters had to buy new slaves. It resulted in transportation of over 12 million of people from Africa to America.

The author gives great number of different ideas connected with the roots of slavery and the life of slaves on these islands. Having compared his works with the works of other authors, it is possible to say that there are several points of view on this question. which represent different approaches to its investigation.

Works Cited

Bergad, Laird. The Comparative Histories of Slavery in Brazil, Cuba, and the United States (New Approaches to the Americas). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007. Print.

Kiple, Kenneth. The Caribbean Slave. A Biological History. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002. Print.

Klein, Herbert and Ben Vinson. African Slavery in Latin America and the Caribbean. Oxford: Osford University Press, 2007, Print.

Richardson, Bonham. The Caribbean in the Wider World, 1492-1992: A Regional Geography (Geography of the World-Economy). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992. Print.

Rogonzinski, Jan. A Brief History of the Caribbean: From the Arawak and Carib to the Present. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007. Print.

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Slavery in “A Brief History of the Caribbean”

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