Racism Or Slavery

969 Words2 Pages

Racism or Slavery, which came first?

Racism or slavery, neither, this essay will document the prejudice against Africans from Europeans that led into slavery and racism. Prejudice issues in a dislike for an individual or group of these individuals. This dislike can simulate from many differences that are shared, religion, culture, system of living (government and social practice), or in some cases looks.

“Initially English contact with Africans did not take place primarily in a context which prejudged the Negro as a slave, at least not as a slave of Englishmen. Rather, Englishmen met Africans merely as another sort of men. Englishmen found the peoples of Africa very different form themselves. “Negroes” looked different to Englishmen; their religion was un-Christian; they seemed to be very libidinous people (Jordan, 1).” In this example Winthrop Jordan begins to target the differences that Englishmen seen and identified with from themselves and the Africans. Pointing out an area that differed, which to the Englishmen mirrored the souls and morals of the Africans, religion. Prejudice begins with difference.

“For Englishmen, the most arresting characteristic of the newly discovered African was his color. Travelers rarely failed to comment upon it; indeed when describing Africans they frequently began with complexion and then moved on to dress (or, as they saw, lack of it) and manners (Jordan 1).”

And entering in a river, we see a number of blacke soules,
Whose likelinesse seem’d men to be, but all as blacke as coles.
Their Captaine comes to me as naked as my naile,
Not having witte or honestie to cover once his taile.

Robert Baker

Jordan and Baker begin to show the Englishmen dislike for the African choice of dress and complexion. Baker includes that African people skin tone embodies their souls, having negativity in them by nature of being black, adds having neither wit nor honesty. “Englishmen actually described Negroes as black-an exaggerated term which in itself suggest that the Negro’s complexion had powerful impact upon their perceptions (Jordan, 1).” Black- deeply stained with dirt, soiled, dirty, foul…Having dark or deadly purposes, malignant; pertaining to or involving death, deadly; baneful, disastrous, sinister…Foul, iniquitous, atrocious, horrible, wicked… Indicating disgrace, censu...

... middle of paper ...

...As slavery evolved as a legal status, it reflected and included as part of its essence, this same discrimination which white men had practiced against the Negro all along and before any statutes decreed it.”

Degler

Prejudice was present, before slavery came about, when Englishmen first encountered Africans, the differences between the two, combined with the English push to turn the world English. “As England had absorbed people of every nationality over the centuries and turned them into Englishmen, including Negroes, and seemed to be successfully moulding a New World community on the English model (Morgan, 2).”
Morgan shows English outlook and attitude towards anyone not English. All non-English people are automatically inferior in some degree. A prejudice existing in a group, before control is gained, and prejudice enforced.

Works Cited

(1) Jordan, Wintrop. “First Impressions: Libidinous Blacks,” White Over Black: American Attitudes Toward the Negro, 1550-1812, 1968, University of North Carolina Press.

(2) Morgan, Edmund S., “The Paradox of Slavery and Freedom,” Journal of American History, 59, 1972, 5-29

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