Number 47 Slavery

When i set out to write these blogs about Jamaica, the most difficult part was to rank  the significnce of each events and where do they stand in not only Jamaica history but also World history. This topic is the sole reason many Jamaicans do exsit, slavery is a big part of our culture and that is why it made the list. It being this low on the list does not demisnish it significants.

In 1662 400 slaves arrive in Jamaica from Africa via the Atlantic Slave trade, As the cultivation of sugar cane was introduced, the number of slaves grew to 9,504 by 1673.  The landowners acquired more slaves to do the work on the estates, and in 1734 there were 86,546 slaves.  In 1775 there were 192,787. This was a lot of people travelling from across the world and these numbers could have been more if others have survived the journey. Slavery became prominent in Jamaica and the Americas because of the amout of goods that was avaliable in the new world. The English capture Jamaica from the Spanish and at this time sugar cane was booming and this drive up the number of slaves that came to Jamaica. According to data taken from Long's Manuscripts which were presented by C. E. Long, Esq. to the British Museum in March 1842. From 1702 to 1749,  1239 ships arrived in Jamaica, 299306 slaves imported, 108795 slaves exported to the Americas and 190511slaves where kept in Jamaica. Once again that is a lot of people, slaves did all the hard work in some real harsh conditions.

Slavery change the course of history because it gave the "New World" not only a new labor force but also a new nation, the slaves from Africa were much more durable than the Arawaks, they survieded the journey across the Atlantic ocean on a ship stack like a can of tuna. Slavery is a big part of Jamaica history because most if not all Jamaicans are related to a slave, we carry some of our forthfathers traits, determination and resilience. Many slaves who were capture died on the ships and vessels from starvation and also many committ suicide, the ones who made it here show a lot of strong will.

Slavery was not accepted by everyone, many felt that it was ungodly for anyone to be whip and punish and even sold by another person."Slavery is founded on the selfishness of man's nature -- opposition to it on his love of justice. These principles are in eternal antagonism; and when brought into collision so fiercely as slavery extension brings them, shocks and throes and convulsions must ceaselessly follow". Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) Politician. President of the United States. "Slavery is so intolerable a condition that the slave can hardly escape deluding himself into thinking that he is choosing to obey his master's commands when, in fact, he is obliged to. Most slaves of habit suffer from this delusion and so do some writers, enslaved by an all too ''personal'' style." W. H. Auden (1907-1973) English-born poet and man of letters.

My great grandmother was born during the early 1900, her father was a plantation captain and her mom initally was a slave. My great grandmother was raise inside the house because her dad will not allow her nor her mom to work in the fields with the other slaves. When i started to do social studies in all age school ( Middle school) i ask her about her complextion and why she was not as dark as us and she said "my daddy was white and he didn't want me to look like them other kids".  That's how it was on the platation and it was a social status, the lighter your complextion the less work you do, you were able to read and write before any of the field slaves could, you eat good food while the people who work the hradest gets the scrap or eat the same food as the pigs.

Slavery is very important to Jamaica history because it made us who we are today, i am not mad about slavery because if those events did not happen there is no telling where i will be. As an individual yu have to know your roots and what were the things are events that contributed to you mere exsitance, I will not hide it my skin color signifies the hardship my forth farther endure to come to the new world and that is one of the reason i am here.

 Slavery shape the course of history and it change Jamaican history both good and bad, their is an old addage if you keep troubling the bull behind the fense one day he will tear it down the fense.  Tomorrow i will share with you what happen when the fense breaks down and the people can't take anymore.

This Video by Stephen Marley signifies where everything was started. #Bless

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