Is The United States Responsible For Slavery Essay

Abstract:

This research paper will answer the question, "Is the United States responsible for slavery?". This paper will provide the definition of slavery, examine it's history, create a sense of perspective, and place America's historical role in slavery into it's appropriate context. The reader will find at the conclusion that slavery is not unique to the United States, but is an evil that has existed for a millennia.

“The World's Oldest Trade”: A Brief History of Slavery

What fills your imagination when you hear the word 'slavery'? You would not be blamed if you not only thought of evil white American males oppressing innocent African victims, but only this. But what if "there are myths in the history of the slave trade in a macro-historical perspective: the myth of the primordial importance of North America" (Zeukse, 2012)?

In modern times, there has been a growing politicized ignorance on college campuses in relation to America and world history. The same students who confidently declare Benjamin Franklin was an American president also believe 'America' as synonymous with 'bad'. One stunning claim repeated often by these ill-informed adolescents is that "the United States invented slavery". This poses two questions. Did the United States invent slavery? And if not, what other countries have had slavery before the United

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, slavery is "the practice or system of owning slaves" and "a condition of having to work very hard without proper remuneration or appreciation". Seemingly trivial but for the purpose of this paper it is equally necessary to define 'slave'. The same dictionary provides "a person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them". These definitions will provide the illuminating light we use to cast judgement upon this evil institution. But how does one become a