I know full well what chattel slavery was (I trust you have all read my book, After Abolition.) However, most people don’t, and we seldom talk about the enslaved Africans as anything but ‘slaves’. The impression most people have is that it is only Africans who were ever slaves; and that slavery was indigenous to Africa in any case. So it is very important for people to learn that there were / are many forms of slavery.
I agree, however, that the forms of slavery imposed upon Africans in the Americas by Europeans calling themselves Christian was probably unique.
From: The Black and Asian Studies Association [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of HARROW bhm
Sent: 07 October 2011 12:28
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Inaugural Anti-Slavery Day Young People's Conference
In answer to Marika's query, conditions of peasants throughout Europe differed significantly from that of enslaved persons under chattel slavery,
Crucially, chattel slavery meant that enslaved persons were chattel or property without any human rights whatsoever. The 'owner' could openly murder, torture, or rape them without fearing any sanctions. In my view, there is no comparison.
.
Date: Fri, 7 Oct 2011 08:39:04 +0100
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Inaugural Anti-Slavery Day Young People's Conference
To: [log in to unmask]
While it is important for young people to learn about current forms of slavery, I do wonder how this will be defined!
And why not a conference about historic slavery? I have often mentioned that some two thousand years ago Cicero advised that it was not really worth sending enslaved people from Britain to Rome for sale, as they were too uncivilised to fetch high prices. In Anglo-Saxon times, if a slave was made to work on Sundays, he was freed; and a freeman working on Sundays was enslaved; enslavement was also a form of punishment for some crimes. The Domesday Book notes that the Count of Mortain in Tring had 6 slaves. (All from G.M. Trevelyan, History of England) When in the 16th century the Ottomans conquered Hungary (the land of my birth), many men were enslaved. How did the conditions of peasants throughout Europe differ from enslavement?