ShmoopTube

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Here’s your shmoop du jour, brought to you by the human capacity for evil. [Man holding gift in a cave]

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So…don’t say it never did anything nice.

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Africa was definitely not immune from the ancient slave craze. [Doctor treating Africa]

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Slavery showed up in most African societies.

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This was especially true in the Middle Ages after Islam had transformed the look of the [Islam giving Africa a make over]

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continent.

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Sure, slavery at this time in Africa wasn't as brutal as later European slavery would

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be.

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But that’s kinda like saying that eating dirt is better than eating gravel. [Man eating dirt in kitchen]

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Religion didn't help much either.

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In medieval Islamic law, all people were considered free until proven otherwise. [Judge banging gavel]

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How do you prove otherwise?

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Thumb war? [People in thumb war]

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Spelling bee?

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It was kinda tough.

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Two kinds of people could be legally sold as slaves.

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Those captured in wars. [Slaves in chains]

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And those born into slavery.

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The first category exploded in the 14th and 15th centuries, as bloody wars across the

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Middle East and East Africa flooded the markets with POWs. [Men fighting with swords]

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And trust us, nobody going to those markets was worried if their POWs were free-range…

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However, if human history has shown us anything, it's that human beings…want more stuff.

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So, of course, slave owners always wanted a few more slaves. [Slave owner purchasing a slave]

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And they didn't want to wait for a war to break out.

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If customers had to wait too long, the slavers would start to get seriously bad Yelp reviews. [Man reading Yelp review]

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So during those pesky times of peace, Middle Eastern slave traders bought POWs from Africa.

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Whenever a major war broke out in Africa, slave traders hopped the first ship or caravan [Slave traders jump on ship]

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and took advantage.

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Fresh POWs were soon hauled off and packaged for resale in the Middle East. [Slaves packaged for resale]

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In usual evil guy fashion, many traders tried to get around Islamic law.

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No POWs available?

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Just pay a local lord or bandit to kidnap orphans and homeless people. [Man kidnaps orphan]

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Wow.

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Orphans and homeless people?

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There are two populations that don’t need another kick in the ribs. [Man kicked in the ribs]

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When these slaves were sold in the Middle East, slavers would fib to their Islamic customers

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about where the slaves came from.

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Ya know…because owning a child caught in war is so much better than one that was nabbed

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off the street.

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Morality is fun like that.

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Islamic merchants weren't the only buyers in town, either. [Slave trader walks away with boy]

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The upper classes of many empires, including Kongo and Ethiopia, got into the game too.

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In particular, they liked to buy slaves to use as personal servants or laborers in mines. [Man working in a mine]

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That gold wasn’t going to mine itself.

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Slavery in both Islamic and non-Islamic countries was slightly less horrific than latter-day [Slaves at work]

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slavery in Europe and the Americas.

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Slaves in Islamic countries were often educated as administrators, professionals, and military

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officers.

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So…night classes? [Men working in night classes]

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Cool…we guess.

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Also, slaves in Ethiopia and Kongo could often buy their freedom back from their masters. [Man buying freedom]

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Both Islamic and non-Islamic countries also offered ways for people to leave slavery through

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marriage.

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So most families could get out of slavery within a generation or two.

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But let's just say there was enough hope that life would only suck about 87.23% instead

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of 99%.

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Either way, that makes for a depressing pie chart… [Man stood beside pie chart]

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