A Brief History of Slavery by Darren Mong'are

Ancient Times: The roots of slavery

So, way back when, like, way, way back, slavery was kind of like the ancient world's "must-have" accessory. Everyone was doing it! Egyptians, Romans, Mesopotamians – they all had their own systems of slavery.

Roman Gladiator Games: Entertainment was a tad bit different back then for them. Imagine "American Idol," but instead of singing, contestants fought to the death. And guess who was often starring? Enslaved gladiators.

Hammurabi's Code: This ancient Babylonian law had rules for everything, including slavery. It's like the world's first manual for slave owners. "Thou shalt not overwork thy slave... unless you really need that pyramid finished." (Okay, maybe not that last part.)

The Transatlantic Slave Trade: A Really, Really Bad “sea’’ Trip

Then came the transatlantic slave trade, and things went from "meh" to "oh-my-goodness-this-is-horrible" pretty fast. Europe needed free labor for their American colonies, and sadly Africa, particularly western and central Africa, was the source.

The Triangular Trade: Picture this: Europe ships out some beads and rum (party supplies), Africa trades people (not cool), and the Americas send back sugar and tobacco (the real party supplies). A truly messed up exchange program…like truly messed up.

The Middle Passage: Forget "Are we there yet?" This was more like, "Are we alive yet?" Crammed into ships like sardines, people endured horrific conditions. Imagine the worst airplane flight you've ever had, then multiply it by a million, and add sea sickness, and scurvy, and pneumonia, and tuberculosis. Basically, everything horrible you can think about; and what’s more, you’re considered a dispensable accessory.

Fun Fact (not really): More people died during the middle passage than most people would care to admit. Google says at least 2 million…it’s probably more.

Life as an Enslaved Person: Not a Vacation

Life for enslaved people in the Americas was, to put it mildly, terrible.

Plantation Life: Long hours, backbreaking work, and absolutely no "employee of the month" awards.

Family Separation: Imagine your family being sold off like old furniture. Heartbreaking, right?

Rebellions: People weren't exactly thrilled with this whole slavery thing. There were uprisings, revolts, and plenty of "I'm not taking this anymore!" moments, although they usually ended up dead because their owners and other white supremacists had big bad guns and they didn’t.

On the upside!

Cultural Resilience: Even in the face of immense suffering, people created amazing music( work songs, which became soul, which became blues, which became jazz), stories, and traditions. They basically invented cultural resistance.

Abolition: Finally!

Eventually, people started to realize that slavery was a really, really bad idea.

Abolitionists: These were the heroes of the story. They were like the social justice warriors of their time, fighting for freedom.

The 13th Amendment: The U.S. said "No more!" to slavery. Finally. Well, the 13^th amendment actually said:

‘’ Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.’’ (that’s just a bunch of legal jargon you don’t need, just know people were starting to realize slavery was not cool, and they needed to ban it.)

The Aftermath: Still Messy

Even after slavery ended, its effects lingered like a bad smell.

There was still systemic racism which were the aftershocks of slavery, and ongoing struggle because the fight for equality was still happening.

Why Should You Care?

Because history is like a really long, complicated TV show, and you need to watch the previous seasons to understand what's going on now.

Because being a decent human being means understanding the struggles of others.

Because learning about the past helps us build a better future, one where no one is treated like property.

So there you have it, slavery. Slavery: the word itself carries a weight of immense suffering and injustice. It's a dark chapter in human history, one that we must confront to understand our present and build a better future. Let’s learn from it.