The slavery indicates the social conditions of the slaves , a work their nonfree and generally not remunerated which is juridically the Propriété of another person and thus negotiable, as well as an object. In the broad sense, slavery is the socio-economic system resting on the maintenance and the Exploitation people under this condition. In France, he is regarded as a Crime against humanity.

The slaves are held to obey all the orders of their Master since their birth (or captures, or passage to the state of slave) until their death (or sometimes their release, or stamping ).

As a property, the slave can be the subject of the transfers inherent in the concept of property: one can thus buy it, sell it, and even to rent it.

The slave is distinguished from the prisoner or the convict, close conditions in the operating, and of the beast of burden, by a clean legal status, determined by the rules and the Loi S in force in the country and the time considered.

Definitions

Etymology

The " term; moderne" slavery comes from the Latin medieval sclavus deformation of slavus (the Slavic one), of Greek sklabos . The word “slave” would have appeared with the Early middle ages with Venice, where the majority of the slaves were the Slavic ones of Balkans (an area which was called a long time “Esclavonie” and which recently became independent, under the name of “Slovenia”) . The same root is found in the Arab word saqaliba .

Rome practitioner slavery, Latin obviously had a term to designate the slave: servus , which led under the terms servile and servility (relating to the slave and its condition), like under the terms serf of the Middle Ages and with modern the service , servant , even ciao etc (with evolutions in the direction).

French definition

According to the French Academy, the slave is a " nobody who is not free condition, which belongs to a Master exerting on it a power absolu." Slavery is thus before all the condition of slave, and the reduction of one man to the state of slave, in a generally involuntary way. The slave can depend on any authority: nobody, group, organization, State.

The French Academy adds to that, by extension, all " social institution founded on the existence of a class of esclaves" By analogy, slavery is thus l'" state, condition of those which are subjected to a tyranny, with an arbitrary authority; control, servitude." The definition thus does not exclude formally the voluntary concept of Servitude.

Other directions:

  • With the illustrated direction, slavery is the state of a " nobody who, by interest or taste, puts himself in the dependence of another and follows his volontés." blindly;
  • By extension, " says itself of a person who is held in a state of constraint, of dependence, which undergoes the empire of a chose."

Legal definitions

Several international texts tried to define the concept of slavery.

  • the Relative convention with slavery (1926) of the Société of the nations lays out in its article first that " Slavery is the state or condition of an individual on whom are exerted the attributes of the property right or some among eux". The article also defines the draft of the slaves like " any instrument of capture, acquisition or transfer of an individual in order to reduce it in slavery; any act of acquisition of a slave in order to sell it or to exchange it; any instrument of transfer by sale or exchange of a slave acquired for being sold or exchanged, like, in general, any or transport commercial act of esclaves."

  • the International organization of work adopted in 1930 a definition of the Forced labor which one can bring closer to that of slavery: " the forced labor term or obligatory will indicate any work or service required of an individual under the threat of an unspecified sorrow and for which the aforementioned individual did not offer himself of full gré."

  • the Relative convention with the abolition of slavery (1956) of the the United Nations returns to the definition of the convention of 1926, by adding in its article first several " Institutions and practices similar to the esclavage" : Constraint for debts, Serfdom, Forced marriage, etc

Particular uses

  • ILO compares to the Forced labor, the Travail of the children (see the article).

  • the concept of slavery or constraint is often used like political or ideological argument: concept anticapitaliste of Slavery paid, concept liberal of slavery tax, reasoning pacifist and reasoning of liberals (pacifist or not) comparing Military service to form of slavery (what the convention of ILO of 1930 excludes clearly), concept of animal slavery

History

History per periods and areas

See also: History of slavery, Chronology of slavery

Trade

See also: Treats blacks, triangular Commerce, Traite white, Traite Arab

The sales networks evolved/moved according to the " marché". Turned towards the Empire Romain in the Antiquity, the draft towards North Africa becomes more important during the Moyen-âge; Mediterranean Europe (Italy, Catalonia, Crete, Cyprus, Majorque…) remain however an important destination of the trade of slaves. Certain European countries become themselves a source of supply of slaves (milked the Slavic pagan ones and Christians since the Balkan, milked white captured during the Othoman conquest, etc). At the time modern, the European trade of the slaves evolves to a transatlantic form known as of triangular Commerce.

Simple workmen accustomed to the tropical climate with the whole beginning, the blacks quickly become slaves corvéables and good market, imported of Black Africa of 16th at the 19th century. The estimates of the number of deportees vary, according to the authors, of 11 million (for Olivier Pétré-Grenouilleau) to 50 million (for Victor Bissengué) until in 1789.

The Arab trade of the slaves remained very active antiquity at the time modern (one finds traces of black slaves until in China), from the traditional zones of provisioning of the Muslim world (Black Africa (Traite (sub-) Saharan), Europe, Black Sea) until the beginning of the 20th century. Thus the last Moroccan market with the slaves was closed by the French in 1920.

The draft organized by African themselves, said “Treats Intern”, has it also a considerable extension: approximately 15 million people was touched by it. It was the fact of local potentates which sold either their subjects or of the prisoners.

One can still mention slavery in South America, although this subject is still badly known. At the time précolombienne, the Aztèques were apparently slave. The slaves, in addition to their use as labor, were also used for the human sacrifices.

See also Chronology of slavery

The current forms of slavery answer the same characteristics, in particular the networks of Proxénétisme, turned towards the places of consumption.

The economic value of slavery and consequences

The economic value of slavery is disputed and called in question by large thinkers like Montesquieu or Tocqueville.

A slave is in general motivated little with work, and one must maintain it during his childhood, his old age and for the periods of less work. (It is estimated indeed that Genoa at the 14th century a slave costs purchase 5-6 times the annual salary of a free servant.) To that the need is added for supervising it more than one paid workman. Moreover, by the facility to get slaves and to impose any necessary work to them, slavery discourages the technical innovation, therefore the economic dynamism of the " Maîtres". Thus, with the the United States, contrast, the day before the American Civil War between the indolence of the Slave states and aristocratic of the South and the industrial dynamism of the States of North, is seizing.

If in the short run, slavery seems to be a valid economic solution (massive contribution of already adult labor), it generally derives, in a few decades, worms of the companies not very dynamic, unable to be reformed without external shocks. Nevertheless, to take the example more documented, the Atlantique draft made it possible the European economies to develop quickly, by finding a market (Africa) to run out the manufactured goods and a currency of exchange (slaves) against a raw material (sugar). Karl Marx subjected the idea that the Atlantic Draft, by marketing the goods of the first factories, allowed the primary accumulation of capital allowing the European industrial rise of the 19th century.

In the slave companies, work is not regarded as a noble activity necessary to the personal development. The labor is reserved to the slaves, and the Masters generally devote themselves to the warlike, intellectual or only fashionable activities. This devalorization of work and the workers is sometimes supported by the even racial religious justifications of slavery which reappear in all the slave companies.

Abolitionism and abolitions

See also: Abolition of slavery, Abolitionism

The first trace of a abolition of slavery is the series of laws enacted in 958 by Gwangjong, the fourth king of the kingdom of Koryŏ (current Korea), but the invasions which followed swept this reform. In Europe at the same time, the markets with the slaves are gradually prohibited, under the influence of the Church (see holy Bathilde) to disappear almost completely after the year millet. Slavery remains nevertheless ones made in the Christian companies of southernmost Europe until in the modern time. Disputed from time to time by the Roman Church, but much more often by isolated people, the existence of slaves in the areas in the south of the Alps (Italy, Spain, Balkans, Mediterranean islands) continuous throughout the Middle Ages, only the countries of origins of the imported slaves change (v. above).

In France, the July 3rd 1315: the king Louis X Hutin, publishes an edict which affirms that “according to the right of nature, each one must be born frank”. Officially, since this date, “the ground of France frees the slave who touches it”. There will be no more slaves on the ground métopolitain since this day. The West-Indian colonists in visit left their slaves in instruction in the ports.

The Empire of Mali interdict in its turn slavery at the 13th century, under Soundiata Keïta (it will be restored in 1591 by the pasha Morocco Ain Djouder, then abolished again in 1891 with the arrival of the French).

Abolished already in 1713 in Prussia, the draft by Europeans continues until the 19th century. Portugal abolishes slavery by a decree of the February 12th 1761 (Marquis de Pombal).

In France, the 16 pluviôse year II (February 4th 1794), Convention votes the abolition of slavery in the French colonies (or what it remains about it). This deserving measurement, will be repealed by Napoleon Bonaparte. It is it in 1833 in England and 1847 in the Ottoman Empire. The France thus awaits 1848, year which sees Victor Schoelcher making adopt the final decree of abolition concerning the hexagon.

In 1865, the the United States promulgate the 13th amendment prohibiting slavery. The question of slavery, partly revealed by the book Uncle Tom's cabin led Abraham Lincoln to promise her abolition if he were elected. Its election thus led the States of the South to require the Secession. This one was refused to them (it would have indeed deprived the federal cases of the essence of its taxes), leading to the Civil war. The American Civil War which followed from there will be most fatal of all the history of this country.

Although the stamping from slaves is a charitable work according to Islam, the Moslem countries hesitate even more than Europeans to abolish slavery: the last countries of the world to ratify the abolition of slavery are the Saudi Arabia in 1962 and the Mauritania in 1980.

In substantive law, the prohibition of slavery is contained in articles 4 of the European Convention of the human rights and the Universal declaration of the Human rights, article 8 of the Pacte of the civil laws and political of UNO, in the convention of Geneva of 1926, of New York of 1956, ILO of 1930 and 1936.

Persistences of slavery

See also: modern Slavery

Slavery however did not completely disappear in certain areas from the world, like the Arabic peninsula or the Indian sub-continent. The International organization of work (ILO) considers at 25 million the number of people currently living under conditions comparable to slavery, from where the term of “modern slavery”. According to UNO, each year, two million people is reduced in slavery.

Slavery currently reappears with the Sudan. The Moslem of north restored the Charia during the decolonization and apply it of force to the Christian Blacks and animists of the south which rebelled. Those, pushed back in the Equatorial Province, most unhealthy, resisted of their better since independence. Also the governmental forces massacred the civil populations of many villages and continue to remove many children there to convert them with Islam and to use them like slaves with Khartoum.

In Mauritania, in spite of its official prohibition in 1981, slavery is a practice which persists. August 8th, 2007, the Parliament of the country adopted a law criminalisant ten years the slavery, punished of imprisonment.

By semantic slip, certain situations are comparable with modern slavery:

  • the Procuring;
  • the Forced labor, made possible in the Western countries by the clandestine Work;
  • the Work the children.

In 2000, UNICEF estimated that: 200,000 children were retained in slavery in central and Western Africa. According to the International organization of Migrations (OIM) some: 200,000 women and children are victims of slavery.

The practice of the children soldiers can also be comparable with a form of slavery, the more so as to the psychological influence implemented on children, the physiological dependence obtained by the use of strong drugs is added.

Memory of slavery

Days of commemoration of abolition exist in the majority of the islands of the Antilles and (more recently) in France on May 10th. This date is also that of the adoption of the Loi Taubira, great step in the mémorielle step concerning with the slavery, which it describes in particular as “Crime against humanity”.

The place reserved in the collective memory with certain personalities is also notable, in particular the " negros marrons" and certain figures like the Mulatto Loneliness, who gave place to a novel.

Literature

  • Aphra Behn, author of Oroonoko in 1688

  • Olaudah Equiano, slave freed from the 18th century, author of memories to world success
  • Harriet Beecher Stowe, in particular thanks to the great classic Uncle Tom's cabin and his continuation Dred, history of the large cursed marsh
  • William Wells Brown and her novel Clotel
  • Kyle Onstott with its novel Mandingo
  • William Styron, author of the Confessions of Nat Turner , Pulitzer Price in 1967
  • Alex Halley with his novel Roots: The Saga off year American Family (1976) translated into French under the title " Racines".
  • Terry Bison ( Fire one the Mountain , not appeared in France)
  • Toni Morrison, mainly in its novel Beloved , Price Pulitzer in 1988
  • Edward P. Jones through his novel the known world , Price Pulitzer in 2004
  • Aime Césaire, poet and essay writer ( Slavery and colonization )
  • Caryl Philips, anglophone novelist born in 1958 with St-Kitts in the Lesser Antilles of North. ( The crossing off to rivet ) (1993), ( Cambridge ) (1991).

Philosophy

Arts

Cinema and television

Random links:Michel Houellebecq | Chatuzange-le-Goubet | County of Wanju | Solid mass of Garlaban | Chisa Yokoyama

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