How Has Slavery Changed Over Time

Slavery can be describe in many ways and in many different forms. Jean Allain and Kevin Bales, professors at Queen University describes slavery as the “status or condition of a person over whom any or all of the powers attaching to the right of ownership are exercised” (website). That may be the broader definition of slavery, but the definition of slavery goes much deeper than that. Slavery is a term that is fluid, it can change over many times and have different meanings. The type of slavery that has come to be the most famous description, is the enslavement of Africans in the United States in the sixteen-century and late eighteen-century. But what if I said that was not the only type of slavery during this time period. What if I told you,
Auld describe it as unsafe because an educated slave was a feared slave. Douglass was not fearful of this law and saw the poor whites children in Baltimore as an opportunity; they were an undetected assets to the black slaves. They were going to be the key to Douglass education and they were oblivious of his manipulation. The relationship established between the poor whites and Douglass was one of communalism and not mutualism or dominance as believed by the poor whites. Douglass took the streets of Baltimore and converted as many poor white boys as he could into teachers (341). For a reward, he gave them bread, “This bread I used to bestow upon the hungry little urchins, who, in return would give me that most valuable bread of knowledge” (342). The life of a slave was different for the poor whites. The poor white were the type of slaves who lacked food but were allowed an education. Douglass was the type of slave who had enough to eat at times, but could not get filled completely because he lacked a well balance diet; the fruit of knowledge. The poor whites he fed believe the relationship established with Douglass was benefiting both of them, but in actuality Douglass was gaining more from this