Racism as the Result of the New World Slavery - Essay Example

Topic: Racism as the Result of the New World Slavery Number Department Introduction By the argument that racism was the result of the New World slavery, it is meant that the policy, system of government or belief that is based upon the persuasion that a person's own race being inherently superior emanates from the slavery and slave-related activities that was practiced in the Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas and perhaps, parts of the Oceania. Partly, this standpoint can be held as true, meaning that, it can equally be inaccurate, as shall be seen in the discussion which ensues forthwith. Racism as the Only Ideology That Could Justify the Ravages of the New World Slavery Gleissner (2010, 55) observes that the accurate nature of the argument that racism was the result of the New World slavery is underscored by the fact that the Americas heavily relied upon slavery and slave labour to advance political and socioeconomic interests. So heavy was this reliance upon slave labour that by 1700, the slave population therein had reached 33,000. By 1800, the number of slaves therein had reached 3,000,000. By 1850, this number had peaked over 6,000,000. The issue of racism cannot be divorced from this use of slave labour, given that it was mainly inspired by the stereotypical, unscientific and unfounded claim and notion that the black race was a lesser being. Jackson, Jr. and Weidmen (2004, 16) maintain that, "The inherent physical strength and the wooly hair attributable to the black race are some of the premises upon which racially-instigated slaveholding and use of slave labour advanced the propaganda that the black race is/ was inferior." Secondly, the racist idea that the black race was inherently inferior to other races (particularly the Caucasians) is the chief factor that fuelled the inhuman treatment that slaves were subjected to, right from the point of transportation from Africa, being paraded and purchased in the Caribbean slave markets, being used as a slave, to finally being dumped in a wasteland instead of being given a decent burial. As for the transportation, it is pointed out that during the period between 1700 and 1850, one and a half million people died, during the passage to New World. Again, within a year of landing, a fifth of the slaves transported to the New World died (Hormann and Mackenthun, 2010, 71). According to Kleg (2003, 84), the main reason behind this sad state of affairs is the inhuman and deplorable conditions that the slaves were being subjected to. Usually, the slaves had been forcefully captured through violence. While on board the slave ship, slaves were confined to the lower deck which was never cleaned, for which sources say that a slave ship could be smelled tens of miles away. Rodriguez (2007, 12) recounts that, "The lower deck where slaves were kept while in transit was the very relieving grounds for calls of nature, and the same compartments where morsels of left-over food were thrown down by the slave dealers. Slaves were overcrowded in these lower decks that men and women squeezed into any available space." As if this state of affair is not enough, slaves who died in the course of the journey were also dumped in these decks [and not into the sea] since the number of slaves taken from the African mainland had to be accounted for at the point of destination. Cohen and Greene (1974, 45) recount that, of the same condition of the slave ship, an eyewitness of the harrowing of slave ships, Reverend Robert Walsh says, "Conditions in the slave ships were wretched, with children, men and women scramming into every space available, denied adequate food, breathing space and room. The atmosphere was inhumane with an appalling stench. Men and women were hurdled together in chains in groups of three or four." It is for this reason that many slaves arrived in the Caribbean Island slave market already dead, while a considerable number died on arrival following the 2-3 month perils of the slave ship. The dead were cast into deserted islands to be consumed by vultures (Gupta, 2007, 66). Because of the glaring reality above, one can easily surmise that by and large, it became obvious even to all and sundry that the New World slavery was too grotesque that only racism could be used to explain and legitimise it. Racism (the postulation and belief that the black race was or is inherently inferior) became the only hypothesis that could explain and explain the need to continue with the inhuman business that is slave trade (Clark, Hawley and Kett, 2009, 125). In regard to the above, racist ideologies were spurn to exculpate the lords of slave trade from their disturbing conscience. Such ideologies would mostly work if they took on Christian elements and explanations, since the New World had largely become Christianised and the Christian ethics and slavery could not readily mix. To this effect, Pope Nicholas V on 18 June 1452 issued the papal bull, Dum Diversas which allowed Alfonso V of Portugal the power to reduce the enemies of Christ to slavery. Although this development predates slavery in the New World, it set grounds and precedence for it, by facilitating the Portuguese slave trade in West Africa. In a closely related wavelength, the same Pope Nicholas V followed Dum Diversas with Romanus Pontifex on 5 January 1455 and thereby allowing the seizing of non-Christian lands, enslavement of the natives and non-Christian people in the New World and Africa (Blackburn, 2003, 19 and Scaros, 2011, 41). The notion of racism cannot be ruled out of these developments, given that the underlying reasons that were being issued to justify slavery are that: the black race was the descendant of Ham who was cursed by his father Noah; and in this regard, it was expedient for the black race to be subjected to slavery so as to make reparations for its sin and to merit redemption (Brion, 2006, 12 and Feagin, 2010, 78). Factors That Disapprove the Idea of Racism Being the Result of the New World Slavery There are also logical aspects and historical realities which undercut the notion that racism was the result of the New World slavery. The Widespread Nature of Slavery and Slave Trade One of the historical realities which are not addressed by the postulation above is that racism-motivated slavery and slave trade was not only practiced in the New World, but also in the East African Coast by Muslim Arabs. According to Zach and Pallua (2010, 22), the same idea that the black race was inherently inferior was used to advance the inhumane East African slave trade by Arabs. The situation was equally replicated in the Old World, given that slave trade was equally active in Europe. Thus, it will be dishonest to say that racism was the result of the New World slavery. On the contrary, one can say that racism was the result of slavery in general. The Ubiquitous and Pervasive Nature of the Problem of Racism At the same time, it is important to note that racism is a broader phenomenon which is not limited to slavery. The epitome of racism against the Jew can be the Holocaust and anti-Semitism; the Arab, police profiling for terrorism; and the black race, unequal distribution of resources and socioeconomic values. In this case, the problem of racism widely out-spans racist manifestation of New World slavery (Alexander, 2007, 17 and Wheeler, 60). References Alexander, Dwayne. 2007. Being Persons in a Despersonalising World. New York: ProQuest Information and Learning Company. Blackburn, Robin. 2003. The Making of New World Slavery: From the Baroque to the Modern 1492-1800. London: Biddles Printing. Brion, David. 2006. Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World. Oxford: OUP. Clark, Clifford, Hawley, Sandra & Kett, Joseph. 2009. The Enduring Vision: History of the American People. London/NY: Cengage Learning. Cohen, David & Greene, Jack. 1974. Neither Slave Nor Free: The Freedman of African Descent in the Slave Societies of the New World. Johns Hopkins University Press. Feagin, Joe. 2010. Racist America: Roots, Current Realities and Future Reparations. New York/London: Routledge. Gleissner, John. 2010. Prison and Slavery: A Surprising Comparison. London/ New York: John Dewar Publishing. Gupta, Tania. 2007. Race and Racialisation. Toronto: Canadian Scholars' Press Inc. Hormann, Raphael & Mackenthun, Gesa. 2010. Human Bondage in the Cultural Contact Zone: Transdisciplinary Perspectives on Slavery and Its Discourses. Berlin: Hubert & Co. Jackson, Jr., John & Weidmen, Nadine. 2004. "Race, racism and Science: Social Impact and Interaction." Science in Society, 11 (2), 16. Kleg, Milton. 2003. Hate, Prejudice and Racism. New York/ Albany: State University of New York Press. Rodriguez, Junius. 2007. The Historical Encyclopedia of World Slavery. California: ABC-CLIO Inc. Scaros, Constantinos. 2011. Understanding the Constitution. London: Jones and Bartlett Publishers International. Wheeler, Albert. 2005. Racism. Cambridge: CUP. Zach, Wolfgang & Pallua, Ulrich. 2010. Racism, Slavery and Literature. Vienna: Peter Lang GmbH. Read More