could earn their freedom working as laborers and artisans for the European settlers. Africans could
become free people and enjoy some of the liberties like other new settlers.
By 1640, Maryland became the first
colony to institutionalize slavery. In 1641, Massachusetts, in its written
legislative Body of Liberties, stated that "bondage was legal" servitude, at that moment
changing the conditions of the African workers - they became chattel slaves who could be bought and solely owned by their masters.
SLAVERY AND RACE:Many Europeans came to America to exercise
their God fearing beliefs and to practice religious freedom. Slavery, on the other hand,
was a form of persecution which, in the eyes of colonial America, had to be justified
. Therefore, the black slave became an easily identifiable group targeted as being inferior,
subhuman, and destined
for servitude. The early Christian churches did not take up the cause of eliminating slavery
until much later in the century. The famous Boston theologian, Cotton Mather, in 1693
included in his Rules for the Society of the Negroes the explanation that "Negroes
were enslaved because they had sinned against God." He later included a heavenly
plan that "God would prepare a mansion in Heaven," but little or no way for the end
of forced slavery on earth was undertaken by most religious groups.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:Creative talents have always helped in the final hours of a finished product. Thanks to Lee-Wen Cheng, an academic assistant in the
IMC, for highlighting the top of this exhibit with an engaging banner. My special appreciation
again goes out to Robert Delaney who kept my work current with his handling of the print
design for the written words of this exhibit.
No comments:
Post a Comment