Slavery In The Cape

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Slave – n. A person who is legal property of another and is forced to obey him or her.
During the period of Dutch colonisation at the Cape, slavery was a common way in which manual labour was produced. The jobs and duties which were given to slaves ranged from simple household jobs to intensive labour around farms and its surrounds. These people were brought to the Cape, all with different ideologies and backgrounds and were expected to do work for the Dutch without any questions. Whilst at work in the Cape, they were expected to work long hours, under poor conditions and without any payment. As the years grew on, slaves proved an essential part of the running of the refreshment station and the working order of the Cape. Luckily ,by the 19th …show more content…

As the news of the abolition of slavery in the Americas and the Caribbean had spread, the slaves of the Cape were quick to hear. This idea of being free and no longer enslaved had inspired a mixed ethnical group of people to come together and form a plan of some sorts. The initial plan of these men was to march from the rural districts of the Cape in which they would gather the slaves on their way to Cape Town. Once they’d completed their journey, their hope was to take control of the Amsterdam Battery, and turn the ammunition of the Dutch colonies on the castle. If this plan proved successful, they’d then negotiate a peace deal which would provide freedom for all slaves. On the evening of October 27, 1808, the plan was carried out. This plan however did not go as planned as the news of this ambush had already reached the governor of the Cape, and these slaves were captured and were either given death penalties or were sent to Robben Island to be …show more content…

Towns such as Stellenbosch, Tulbagh, Swellendam and Cape Town are products of the not so sweet era of Dutch rule over the Cape. The wine lands in and surrounding cape Town are also all thanks to those bitter-sweet years of the Dutch ruling. We also have buildings such as the slave lodge in Town which was built by the slaves and some of its remains can still be found within the now renovated slave lodge which has also now become a museum. There is also a plaque in Church Square, Cape Town, to commemorate the way in which the slaves were auctioned off to the Dutch inhabitants. There is no doubt that we’d be able to forget about the impact the slaves had on our society considering their cultural remains in South Africa. Considering that slaves were brought from varieties of islands, one of which was Malaysia, a Malay culture had been introduced once slaves were freed. We now have an abundance of Muslim people in and around Cape Town. That has not only sparked the diversity of people living in our beautiful country, but it also shows us the importance of these slaves. we also have the annual ‘Koon carnival” to thank them for on the 2nd of January every year, as this was their one day of rest whilst enslaved and they used it to parade around the city and it is now a tradition that will never be left

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