Indian Ocean Slavery Research Paper

Plantation Slavery in Indian Ocean When topics such as African history and slavery are brought to mind, many American’s have a predetermined belief or idea on the subject. Such ideas may include that there is not much of African history until European presence, that African’s did not do anything of significance until the arrival of Europeans. Then, there are some beliefs that slavery was only a matter of American history. Both ideas are incorrect, in that there is plenty of evidence that points towards significant achievements in Africa before the arrival of Europeans and that slavery was a major part of Indian Ocean history. Slavery had existed in the Indian Ocean world far before Europeans captured and enforced slaves to work in agriculture
Le Bel freed himself of Bororo’s attacks, fled to his quarters, grabbed his sword and was able to contain the riot shortly. And “Soon after, 23, of the most energetic men had been put in chains and the rest tied with ropes. He then, wanted to know who had been the leader of the uprising and Bororo volunteered to admit the responsibility” (pg. 58). The Captain soon realized the size of his crew was outnumbered by the slaves and as such he commanded for Bororo who “was tied to the foremast’s top and was shot in the presence of the remaining slaves. His body was thrown to the sea” (pg. 59). Transportation of slaves was so sever and harsh that rebellion, although slim in success, was worth more than enslavement. Other times rebellious acts such as suicide were acts of religious beliefs. Africans from Malagasy “believed that at death, when the soul departed, the body would return not to God, but to the place of birth where a new existence would begin under another form” (Medeiros pg. 73). Such a belief was so strongly felt among these people that it would persuade them to commit suicide by jumping into the sea. Slaves were transported to islands such as Reunion, Seychelles,
Beginning with their means of transportation, slaves were treated as monsters as such given the icy ground to sleep on during transportation. Such conditions would cause anyone to desire escape. Flight was not only numerous during the slave trade in the Indian Ocean world but it had many classes or levels of complexity. Whether it be simple rebellion from no longer wanting to work in the fields of plantation or whether it is an attempt to form a small community in which runaways could survive in, flight allowed for slaves to interrupt the systematic nature of the slave trade structure. Interruption such as these would also cost the region loss in financial stability. Such interruption would also eventually lead to the demise and extinction of the slave trade in the Indian Ocean world although it took more than rebellious acts such as flight. Although many attempts were set to extinguish the fire of slavery, slavery would officially end in the Indian Ocean world by the end of the 19thcentury. Such attempts were disproved by simply disregarding treaties, or discovering different alternatives in the treaties. Many regions would effortlessly change the title of slave to “contract labor” in an attempt to overcome the system. Nevertheless, slavery in the Indian Ocean world came to an official conclusion in the end of the 19th century. With the end of slavery