Slave
one who is held to labor as the property of another. The slaves of western Europe in the early Middle Ages were chiefly Slavs or Slavonians, hence the term slave. Without doubt slavery originated among savage people in time of war. The lives of captives were spared that they might be forced to drudge for the victors. The institution of slavery outruns the records of antiquity. The Babylonians, the Egyptians, and even the Jews held slaves. The latter people held not only foreign slaves, but made slaves of their own people. Jewish debtors unable to pay, and Jewish thieves unable to make restitution, were sold into slavery. Every fiftieth year, however, the year of Jubilee, Hebrews in slavery were set free.
Slavery was a recognized institution among the Greeks from the days of Homer. The writers, even Plato and Aristotle, assume slavery as a natural condition for inferior races. Labor was performed generally by captives taken in war or purchased from Asia Minor and Thrace. Instances are on record of horrible Spartan massacres of helots to reduce their military strength.
Slavery was common at Rome. At an early day the head of the family might put slaves to death. In the days of the empire legal protection was afforded the slaves. To kill a slave was declared murder. In the sale of slaves families were not to be separated. The number of Roman slaves was very great. As many as 4,000 were held by a single wealthy owner. Many were trained as gladiators.
Upon the introduction of Christianity much was done to mitigate the condition of the slave. The church taught that "God is no respector of persons and that in His eyes slave and master are equal." European slavery took the aspect of serfdom, a condition superior to slavery in that the serf was attached to the soil. He was not, indeed, at liberty to go elsewhere; but, on the other hand, his master was not at liberty to sell him to another. As late as the reign of Queen Elizabeth it was deemed necessary to appoint a royal commissioner to inquire into alleged cases of serfdom in England. Except among the Turks, who are considered Asiatic and who still hold slaves and are expressly permitted by the Koran to do so, European serfdom came to an end with its abolition in Russia, March 17, 1861.
It seems strange that slavery--the holding, working, and selling of human beings with no more legal rights than so many cattle--should have had a new growth in America--the boasted land of freedom--after it had died out in other civilized countries. On account of their docility, the negroes of Africa were introduced into the West Indies as early as 1503, eleven years after the discovery of America. The Portuguese were pioneers in the nefarious slave trade, but Christian England turned it to the greatest financial gain. Six hundred and ten thousand negroes were imported in Jamaica alone. Slavery was common in all the colonies prior to the Revolution, but it did not pay in the Northern States. As soon as it had died practically a natural death and financial interests were small, humanity prevailed and slavery was abolished by law. In the Southern States, however, slavery became profitable. Alongside of the system of faithful servants who were treated with kindness in health and cared for in sickness and old age and who were attached to the family and to the family name, arose the terribly tempting evil of raising slaves for sale and the profitable working of plantations of cane and cotton by cheap slave labor. Slavery was abolished in the colonies of Great Britain in 1833. One hundred million dollars was allowed the owners. American slavery was abolished by the Civil War, at an expense that would have paid for the slaves many times over. Even the staunchest advocate of slavery under idyllic conditions would not consent to its restoration.
See Spartacus; Liverpool; Emancipation Proclamation; Negro; Peonage