Notes on Theorizing of African American Experience :
New World expansion calls for an increase of free labor and slaves.
Slavery was a norm in the 1400s, in the 1600s it became a necessity. Thus capitalism begins as cash crops begin to flourish.
Text states "It was not until England participated in the slave trade on a larger scale that Africans began to serve for life in extremely large numbers" (Pinn 4)
Slaves are not seen as people yet goods for the services that they will contribute.
How does religion find its way into validating slavery?
Christians believe although they are created by the same creator there has to be a barrier to in the ranking of Africans and Europeans.
In 1808 the importation of Africans was outlawed yet the amount of slaves within the New World still increased. Slaves were procreating thus increasing the amount of slaves with the New World.
Superiority and beauty standards have been compiled based on Greek ideals and the pureness of ones skin.
Africans are considered inferior due to their features and color. As they are further away from Greek ideals.
Dark skin, thicker lips, broader noses and coarse hair removed blacks from the European ideals of beauty standards.
Text states " Africans were inferior in beauty to Europeans, who more closely resembled this subjective ideal." (Pinn 6)
Text states " thereby provided an authority for racist depictions of Africans as by nature less than fully human" (Pinn 6)
The English do not at first see color as an issue this then changes as blacks become "Others". Due to their drastic beauty differences from the whites.
Text States "The English use Africans difference in appearance, social habitats and cultural production as ways to paint Africans as barbaric and of less value." (Pinn 8)
Genesis Chapter 9 is used to validate slavery in that it is in the nature in which God meant for slaves to be slaves.
Noah and the children are a confusing aspect and I will need further explanation of what the message is that is trying to be conveyed.
Baptisms become as issue as once Africans are Baptized they are no longer heathens and can be seen as humans instead of property.
VA: States that baptism does not alter ones state of bondage (Pinn 11)
MD: All Africans in the colony are to be slaves including those born within the colony (Pinn 11)
Outside of the expansion within the New World there seemed to no real need to justify the purchase of Africans beyond character assassination and arguments of natural inferiority (Pinn 12)
As long as slaves are viewed as property / goods they are not owed anything. The order of power cannot be challenged, until abolitionist come into the picture.
Whites have gained a fear of what blacks will do if they are freed. The idea that these very same people that were once slaves will live amongst them as fee individuals is terrifying.
Slaves began to rebel against slavery via poisoning masters and their wives, setting fires and slow downs when completing their work.
Without slavery whites needed to find a way to justify why they treated Africans the way they did. They weren't good enough to be treated as humans prior to being free.
Blacks are now considered buffoons, ignorant, beastly threats . No matter their status whites believed it was in the nature for blacks to be inferior.
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