This will be an educational thread for those who do not know much about the history of slavery in the United States. I have come across many Nigerians who do not know the impact of slavery and how this abomination created wealth for the U.S.

America was built off the backs of enslaved Africans.

Around 1600, Africans began to be shipped to North America as slaves. Slaves did most of the work where they lived. Most of them worked in mines or on plantations, while some became servants. Some people thought that slavery was wrong, while the majority of people thought that slavery was acceptable. Few slaves could marry, have a family, testify in court, or own property legally. Some slaves were able to make money to free themselves.

Slavery Grows in the South

Blacks became slaves in the American Colonies during the 1600's. People were getting more slaves in the South where large plantations grew cotton and other crops. These plantations needed many workers to take care of the farms. People in the North didn't need slaves because they didn't have as many large farms as the South did.

Plantation slaves in the 1800's were called field hands. Their jobs were to plant and pick cotton. Out of all the different kinds of slaves, field hands worked the longest. From sunrise to sunset they worked. In their master's home, house slaves worked as servants and did jobs like doing the laundry or making dinner. Some other slaves who worked on plantations became trained craft workers like bricklayers, blacksmiths, carpenters, or cabinetmakers. Besides working on plantations, some slaves worked in factories while others became construction workers on canals and railroads. Others became dockworkers, office workers, riverboat pilots, and lumberjacks. Some even worked hard in mines. Whites didn't want black slaves to read and write because they might be encouraged to run away.

There were different kinds of slaveholders. Some treated their slaves well by giving them gifts and money for doing a good job. Others treated their slaves poorly by punishing or threatening them. When slaves worked in large groups such as in mines or on farms, they were often over-worked and punished. Some who worked as servants were treated as a member of the owner's family. In some cases slaves were released from their owners when the owner died leaving a will saying they were free because of their good work and loyalty.

Slaves created their own language and music. Religion helped slaves get through rough times. Their religion was a combination of African and Christian beliefs. Some slaves tried to escape to freedom through the Underground Railroad.

The Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad wasn't a real railroad and it wasn't necessarily underground. It really was a system that helped slaves escape to freedom in areas such as the northern states and Canada in the 1800's. This system was called the Underground Railroad because of the secret way slaves escaped. It was in 14 northern states but was mainly in Indiana, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and the New England states. The slaves would hide during the day and moved almost always at night. To make sure no one found out about it, the people who aided the slaves and the fugitives would use many railroad words as code words. Although some slaves settled in the North, others didn't because they could be captured and would be returned to being a slave. Instead these slaves would go to Canada. The line between freedom and slavery was called the Mason Dixon Line. It is located on the border of Pennsylvania and Maryland.

The Antislavery and Proslavery Movements

The slave states had approximately four million slaves by 1860 and made up one-third of the South's population. In the 1700's, religious leaders and philosophers in North America and Europe began saying that slavery was wrong. They felt that slavery went against human rights and God's teachings. A few slave owners thought Africans were less than human and that it was all right to treat them badly. During the Revolutionary War in America (1775-1783) many Americans began to feel that slavery was wrong. The Americans who were against slavery came to believe that slavery in the United States wasn't right because the United States had been formed to protect human rights, and slaves didn't have rights. Slavery was opposed more rapidly in the North, because few people in the North owned slaves. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson even spoke out against slavery.

The masters of slaves made high profits from owning slaves and this had a greater influence on them than the people who argued against slavery. Throughout the South, most southern people remained supportive of slavery. Approximately one-fourth of the region's Whites owned slaves or were in a family that had slaves working for them. Owning over half of the slaves, about 45,000 planters controlled the government and economy of the southern states. Even southerners who didn't own slaves felt the South's economy would fail if people could not own slaves.

Abolitionists started a movement in the 1800's to try to end slavery. Then, southerners began to stick up for slavery in what became known as the proslavery movement. Some southerners involved in the movement quarreled that slavery was like "the law of nature" which allowed the strong to rule the weak. They believed it was right for Whites to own Blacks as slaves because the strong were ruling the weak. Other people believed that the Bible favored slavery, while others thought that southern slavery was better than living in Africa, because in the South they would have a lifelong home with better living conditions. By 1860, almost all southerners thought slavery should continue.

The Fight over Slavery in the West

During the 1800's slavery began to increase in the West. The North worried that the states that allowed slavery would take over Congress if these new territories joined the Union as slave states. If the West joined the Union as "free soil" states, slave states would be outnumbered in Congress by free states, so Southerners began demanding that slavery should continue in the western states. Arguments over slavery in the new states helped bring on the Civil War which was fought from 1861 to 1865. Slavery was abolished in the United States in 1865.

Slave Auction

Enslaved Africans

More Pictures

This map of slavery in the United States provides great insight into the push north to freedom on the Underground Railroad.

Enslaved people working in the cotton fields

Allways remember that it was black africans that went into the country to capture people and sell them to arab or white traders.
Slavery only worked with the help of africans capturing & selling africans.
The white men could not have gone out into the country only Africans.

Enslaved Africans

worry246:

Allways remember that it was black africans that went into the country to capture people and sell them to arab or white traders.
Slavery only worked with the help of africans capturing & selling africans.
The white men could not have gone out into the country only Africans.

Not always true. Many coastal communities were depleted by European slave raids. Europeans started the slave trade. So do not try to pin the blame on Africans.

The Europeans used the Africans, by causing mistrust amongst groups that led to the wars.

And BTW, the Arabs went into the interior to capture slaves. They used African mercenaries to work for them, but Arab slavers were directly involved in the slave trade. Go to Zanzibar in East Africa or the coastal cities in East Africa, which were once ruled by the Omani Arabs.

Enslaved Africans

More Pictures

Cotton Field

Former Slaves

Akhenaten,

Thanks!

Akhenaten!

God bless you for such a powerful thread. But it shouldn't be ending so quickly. At just page 1? No! More pictures. More facts, let the full story be told!

You do know most slaves were sent south of the united states right?

I wish my great grand father was taken as a slave .by now I for be Yankee citizen and not in this predicament.lol

Akhenaten:

Not always true. Many coastal communities were depleted by European slave raids. Europeans started the slave trade. So do not try to pin the blame on Africans.

The Europeans used the Africans, by causing mistrust amongst groups that led to the wars.

And BTW, the Arabs went into the interior to capture slaves. They used African mercenaries to work for them, but Arab slavers were directly involved in the slave trade. Go to Zanzibar in East Africa or the coastal cities in East Africa, which were once ruled by the Omani Arabs.

Europeans Did start the transatlantic slave trade, but the sad truth Africans DID capture other Africans. It is NOT just a lie made up by the African Diaspora. Africa had practiced slavery prior to European arrival. When the Europeans finally arrived they did not come with empty hands they traded with the strongest African chief's who in turn captured weaker and opposing tribes for goods such as Guns, horses, Iron and fabrics. During the days of slavery the Average Caucasian in Africa would have died very quickly due to a lack of immunity to Malaria and many other sicknesses present there. So you must ask yourself did millions of Blacks voluntarily march to the west Coast to become slaves??

I think not, It was perpetrated by other Africans who went deep into the heart of Africa. They had an in depth KNOWLEDGE of their continent and where to locate and capture the weaker tribes who would be easily defeated.
Slavery was driven BY GREED.

I am not saying this to offend you, but you must find it in yourself to accept that this happened or you are denying the whole African diaspora of respect.

expressdr84: I wish my great grand father was taken as a slave .by now I for be Yankee citizen and not in this predicament.lol

That would not have come without its own disadvantages. How sure are you that your great grand father would have made it alive to america from africa? He could have died on transit to the Americas. Not all slaves bought from Igboland, AkanLand, Kongoland etc made it to America. Some died along the way in the slave ships and their dead bodies were thrown off shore into the Atlantic. Some made it to America but died weeks after due to the terrible slave working conditions they found themselves in. Possibility of making it to survival and then to procreation is slimmer than you expect.

Removing the benefits of being a US citizen that black americans currently enjoy today, all things being equal and regarding all as Blacks/Africans which we all are, Nigerians are better off individually and culturally than black americans. On a level playing field, the average Nigerian, who embodies the qualities of hardwork, perseverance, smartness, intelligence, communal living etc and also one whose culture encourages success and healthy competition, will in more numbers outperform his black american colleagues in whatever sector both nationalities find themselves in.

Akhenaten:

America was built off the backs of enslaved Africans.

Well, this guy begs to differ.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKDXmZXz8kk

Akhenaten: Enslaved Africans

^^^There's a mixed-race kid in that picture! Quite telling, as i know inter-racial marriages were seen as an abomination to whites then.

expressdr84: I wish my great grand father was taken as a slave .by now I for be Yankee citizen and not in this predicament.lol

IGBO-SON:


^^^There's a mixed-race kid in that picture! Quite telling, as i know inter-racial marriages were seen as an abomination to whites then.

Actually there weren't any interracial marriages during slavery. Black women were raped by their White slave owners and bred pale looking kids. However some black women were willing hoes for their White slave owners in favor of the rights to be called House Niggers.

House Niggers had a little more privileges than the Field Niggers. The pale looking Niggers were able to pass as White and sent to grooming schools until adulthood.

It was more common for White men to be with Black women during slavery but of course it was through hiding. Interracial relationship was illegal during slavery.

Often White women would entice Black men and have sex but if they were caught they were use the rape card. The word picnic came from a popular event during slavery....Pick A Nigger. Whites would have meals prepared and gathered around to watch mostly Black.men get lynched.

Read about Emmitt Till.

bigfrancis21:

Removing the benefits of being a US citizen that black americans currently enjoy today, all things being equal and regarding all as Blacks/Africans which we all are, Nigerians are better off individually and culturally than black americans. On a level playing field, the average Nigerian, who embodies the qualities of hardwork, perseverance, smartness, intelligence, communal living etc and also one whose culture encourages success and healthy competition, will in more numbers outperform his black american colleagues in whatever sector both nationalities find themselves in.

Can you please explain how you mean (better off) culturally than African Americans?

expressdr84: I wish my great grand father was taken as a slave .by now I for be Yankee citizen and not in this predicament.lol

You should be grateful to God that you are a Nigerian. The African American culture is messed up. Do you think being a black yankee citizen is a ticket to living a successful life..

Allohrandy: You should be grateful to God that you are a Nigerian. The African American culture is messed up. Do you think being a black yankee citizen is a ticket to living a successful life..

There is no such thing as African American culture. That's like saying White American culture or Asian American culture. Let pretend there is such...what is good about Nigerian culture?

Selling girls off to be married like properties? Cutting off little girl clits with dull rocks? Setting children on fire for stealing spoiled potatoes?

Bottom line...everyone can pinpoint what is bleeped up in a said group, country, or culture.

Mrs.Chima:


There is no such thing as African American culture. That's like saying White American culture or Asian American culture. Let pretend there is such...what is good about Nigerian culture?

Selling girls off to be married like properties? Cutting off little girl clits with dull rocks? Setting children on fire for stealing spoiled potatoes?

Bottom line...everyone can pinpoint what is bleeped up in a said group, country, or culture.

Ma'am, . You got me cracking up there. Let's put the negative aspects of both cultures aside and talk about the positive side. Comparing both the Black American and Nigerian cultures in positive light, Nigerians would tend to come off as more hard working, persevering, intelligent, willing to take chances, and educated than black americans. Let's talk about these two groups under two sub-topics, industry and education.

1) Hard Work/Industry: Nigerians are known to be a very hardworking set of people. Anywhere you meet a Nigerian, you see him making a good living for himself. Nigerians don't sit at home all day waiting on the government to come provide us with food and water. We go out there and make our living rather than waiting on some government social services. Nigerians are not lazy. On the other hand, Black Americans aren't generally known to be hard working. Prove me wrong on this. The guys start growing up and they become gangsters and wind up in jail. Others drop out of school to become DJs and rappers. The females look for some rich star to impregnate them so that they gon' be their baby mamas and enjoy some thousands of dollars in child support comin' in every month. Nobody wants to work hard no more. On the other hand, the Nigerian society is one that encourages healthy competition and you see Nigerians working hard to outdo the other. In the end what do you get? Individual success. Nigerians travel far and wide to other countries just for one major reason. And that is? To beat the bad economic woes at home and succeed against all odds.

2) Education: Nigerians go extra length to ensure that they get educated because we believe that education in life is very paramount. Among the Igbos, which you've been married into, going to college is a must. There's no alternative to that. In fact, it has now become a tradition among Igbos now that everybody whether male or female must go to school up to university level. Even the business guys and men also go to college. In some less-than-average Igbo families, you see the first born go into business early to make money so that he could train his younger ones in school(if male) or marry off at an early age so that she could train her younger ones in school(if female). Can the same be said of AAs? A recent survey carried out last year discovered that only 31% of whites attended college and 18% of blacks attended college. What does that leave us with? A whopping 82% of a non college-trained black population.

A recent statistic released early last year indicated that Nigerians are the most educated set of immigrants among all immigrants in the US(Indians, Chinese, Mexicans etc). The same research went further to say that Nigerians in America are most likely to hold a bachelors, Masters or PhD degree.

Can you say the same about black americans? Fewer black males than females are going to college nowadays. Its become the dream of many black american male teenagers to drop out of school and become some famous rich rapstar like Wiz Khalifa or 50 Cent. Gangster livin' is the d0p€.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/nigerian-diasporas-are-the-most-educated-immigrants-in-the-united-states/113200/

Awww...I have touched a nerve.

Lol at a blog article being the source.

Lawd I hope Kony don't see this thread.

Lol at cutting clits off with a dull rock.

I see why folks be wanting to whoop my ash on NL.

I have yet to see what is good about "Nigerian" culture.

Mrs.Chima:
Awww...I have touched a nerve.

Lol at a blog article being the source.

Lawd I hope Kony don't see this thread.

. My nerve? For shizzle?

I could give you more sources ma'am.

How about this?
http://www.chron.com/news/article/Data-show-Nigerians-the-most-educated-in-the-U-S-1600808.php

Even Black Entertainment TV(BET), African Americans' number 1 station even acknowledges the Nigerians' pervasive education too!

http://www.bet.com/news/national/2012/03/20/survey-nigerians-most-educated-in-the-u-s.html

You did strike a nerve ma'am. But a kickass one.

^^why dont you talk about the state of nigerians IN nigeria sir.
you will see some nigerians are actually not much better off than AAs.

Every ethnic group has impressive and embarrassing statistics.
[size=18pt]neither group is better than the other[/size].

you're not kicking ANYBODY in the azz, you're only stomping on your own foot.
this is what i ended up having to acknowledge after having argued with both AAs and
Nigerians, as a caribbean. we are all equally fugged up.

and thats a FACT!

Nigerians themselves have "Ethered" your "we are better than you" claim on other threads.
i can post links if you want.

so take it for what it is, you are not AA, and so therefore their issues are not yours.
nobody asked you to respond, you took it upon YOURSELF to compare Nigerians to AAs
inserting all kinds of >> when in the end, IN your country it's not exactly glorious either.

and coming from a lineage that was notorious for selling their own flesh and blood
(who in turn became aas, caribbeans; etc), you might want to hide those teeth.