Summary Of Andrés Reséndez's The Other Slavery

Between 1492-1776, although many people moved to the “New World”, North America lost population due to the amount of Indians dying from war and diseases and the inability of colonists to replace them. John Murrin states, “losers far outnumbered winners” in “ a tragedy of such huge proportions that no one’s imagination can easily encompass it all.” This thought of a decreasing population broadens one’s perspective of history from that of an excluded American tale full of positivity to that of a more unbiased, all-encompassing analysis. The Indians and slaves have recently been noted as a more crucial part of history than previously accredited with.

This article focused on depopulation via smallpox. “Within just a few generations, the continents of the Americas were virtually emptied of their native inhabitants – some academics estimate that approximately 20 million people may have died in the years following the European invasion – up to 95% of the population of the Americas.” The article goes on to describe the transmission process of smallpox, incubation period, and symptoms of the disease. It then discusses the fact that diseases such as smallpox, influenza and measles were a product of the European society, specifically livestock farming and close interaction with domesticated livestock. Though smallpox outbreaks would occur in Europe, killing major portions of the population, some would survive and build immunities which they genetically passed to the next generations. Because the Native Americans had no exposure to smallpox and no genetic immunities, exposure to this virus was deadly all across the continent. “More victims of colonization were killed by Eurasian germs, than by either the gun or the sword, making germs the deadliest agent of conquest.”

The most important cause of Native American depopulation, during European contact, was epidemic disease. The

In this lecture the author, Christina Snyder emphasizes putting forward the academic and ethnic comprehension of how America chattel slavery and traditional Indian slavery were part of a lengthy endurance in the evolution of native concepts on captivity. As she stated “captivity was not a static institution for Indians, but rather a practice that they adapted over time to meet changing needs and circumstances” (Slavery in Indian Country: The Changing Face of Captivity in Early America. Pg.4)

This section highlights that history has created a false narrative depicting the natives as a victimized people, which they were to some extent but only in the fashion that they did not possess the same technology for warfare, immunity of communal diseases transmitted, and they were not anticipating combat. All other factors considered, the natives stood to be a potential threat. In regards to knowledge obtained by Spaniards prior to arrival and knowledge gained from observation, it would be remiss had they not prepared for battle. This argument is not to be misconstrued in approving their actions; I do recognize colonization as an evil for both the reasons employed and its damaging effects, but rather to change the narrative surrounding that of the native people. While they did experience a tragedy, I feel that it is erroneous to write them into history as being incompetent resulting from their

Culture wasn’t the only thing that the Europeans brought over to the Americas. Along with their customs and rules, came the diseases that the Native American’s have never been exposed to. The Europeans brought many communicable diseases such as small pox and measles which were transmitted to the Native Americans through trade goods or someone infected with them. This quickly annihilated most of the Native American population.

As all authors are undeniably guilty of, James Axtell has a bias, and not one shamefully swept underneath the rug. The enlightening article Axtell has published remains not only as informational; it stands convicting in a sense. Unfortunately, the reader may find themselves lumped into the assemblage of Americans that regard the Native Americans as “pathetic footnotes to the main course of American History” (Axtell 981). Establishing his thesis, Axtell offers plentiful examples of how Native Americans contributed to Colonial America,

For more than 300 years, since the days of Christopher Columbus and the Spanish Government, an attempt of genocide of the Native American Indian has existed. From mass brutal murders and destruction by Spanish and American armies, to self-annihilation through suicide, homicide, and alcohol induced deaths brought about because of failed internal colonialism and white racial framing. Early Explores used Indigenous inhabitants upon first arriving to the America’s to survive the New World and once they adapted, internal colonialism began with attempts to convert the Indians to Christianity, repressing their values and way of life, forcing them into slavery, and nearly exterminating an entire culture from existence.

Over hundreds of years, we, the people was provided false notion about black Indians resulting in black slaves. Indians, retained the land before the so called ‘white man’, the Europeans, and even the Bering Strait was in existence making them, the Indians, indigenous to the Americas. Groups like the Olmec’s help formulate the civilization on ‘The Americas’.

“And this was the freedom, the good treatment, and the Christianity the Indians received” (De Las Casas, 32). This was the religion the Indians were exposed to that caused the cruel and unusual treatment towards them. This treatment was revealed to many who disowned it showing it through documents and accounts of the Indians’ tough life caused by the

The research proves that the impact of European settlements in the Americas decreased native population through disease, war, violence, famine, and slavery. Their “bio-informational methods” indicate that the Native American population was at its peak 5000 years ago. However, “about 500 years ago later, the population shrank by half.” This is, of course, when the Europeans arrived. Notwithstanding, the decline of the indigenous population did not last for a very long time and started to grow again.

This debate about the Native Americans had far-reaching repercussions for the guidelines implemented by both the Spanish Crown and the Church regarding slavery in the New World. Las Casas used his personal involvements living in Spanish America to argue his position. He observed firsthand the demoralizing human impact of colonization. Las Casas points out that Sepulveda’s so-called “barbarians” have laws and self-governed themselves. He says the Indians “are not wanting in the capacity and skill to rule and govern themselves, both publicly and privately.” Native American civilizations were implicated long before Spanish colonization. Las Casas begins his defense by stating Native American governments are “legitimate and natural” and references the philosopher Augustine. Las Casas explains Augustine’s

Caught between Rivals: The Spanish- African Maroon Competition for Captive Indian Labor in the Region of Esmeraldas during the Late Sixteenth and Early Seventeenth Centuries

The autobiography of Olaudo Equiano outlines the brutality and exploitations that the slaves faced during the slave trade. He believes that labor exploitation is incompatible with respect to capitalism, religious beliefs of equality and a society that only brings out inhumanity. However, there were some people during the eighteenth century who did not oppose the slavery trade because according to them, slavery trade was much more profitable than the wage labor and also a way for the whites to demonstrate their superiority.

he body shaking, eye opening, and terrifying story written by Olaudah Equiano shows us the dark times of slavery through a first person view, deep description, and critical choice of words.