Introduction:
In this paper, two different systems of slavery have been chosen. One of the systems is the Roman slavery system, while the other system is the system observed in the Southern Area of America. Talking about the term slavery, slavery itself is one of the most common dilemmas observed in the history of mankind. People have undergone immense inequality and suffered slavery due to the unequal standards set by the people of our society. In ancient times and even in progressive times, no rights were given to the slaves. They had to suffer from oppression and were compelled to work no matter what. Although the slavery system has existed at different times, the two most prominent systems of slavery are the slavery system of Rome and the slavery system of Southern America.
Roman Slavery System:
Roman slavery played an important role in the development of the economy and society. Usually, slaves were observed to perform manual labour in the slavery system; however, in the case of the Roman slavery system, the slaves were bound to give domestic services as well. In certain cases, the slaves were appointed to highly skilled jobs or even professions since the slaves were given lesser pay and more work to perform (Cartwright & Cartwright, 2018). In the Roman slavery system, accountants and physicians were common forms of slaves observed in the country. All other slaves who had fewer skills and no experience related to a profession were forced to work on farms and live a life full of oppression and suffocation. Other than farms, they were forced to work in mills and mines. Since the skilled workers were working as slaves, the overall economy was improved. With short lives and brutal living conditions, the living standards of unskilled slaves were worse than those of the other ones.
Involved People:
The basic people involved in the Roman slavery system were the followers of Romulus. Romulus, in ancient Roman history, started the idea of selling children to work for others. He allowed the Roman fathers to sell their children to other native people and earn a handsome amount of money from the process of selling. This idea expanded with the increase in the Roman State until a time was observed in ancient Rome when a certain group of people was named after the system of slavery in the region.
Conditions:
The entire Roman slavery system is filled with events that highlight slavery and warfare. Throughout the time period of the emergence and dominance of slavery, there were many slaves who were brought to different regions due to the warfare observed in those areas. Other than this, the common condition observed in the time of Roman slavery was the concept of piracy, which then gained more attention over time. Many researchers have also found the importance or the role of slavery in the field of trade and economy. As far as the Roman slavery system is concerned, the Roman elite enjoyed having more and more wealth by getting their work done by the slaves on different professional or unprofessional grounds.
Timeframe:
The Roman slavery system started in the old times of the 1st century BCE and lasted until the eventual ending of this form of slavery in the concerned area.
Major Location:
According to the researchers, the Roman slavery system had slaves from different parts of the world. Slaves were drawn from all over Europe and the Mediterranean, including Gaul, Hispania, North Africa, Syria, Germany, Britannia, the Balkans, Greece, etc. Generally, slaves in Italy were indigenous Italians, with a minority of foreigners (including both slaves and freedmen) born outside of Italy estimated at 5% of the total in the capital, where their number was largest at its peak.
Slavery In Southern America:
The Southern Area of America is characterized by its division into white and black. There are dominant cultural aspects observed in favour of White people in Southern society. In the 17th century, the world observed the emergence of the idea of slavery in America. Although the South remained an undiversified area, an increase was observed in the country’s textile industry. The elite class of the country was enjoying the perks of the healthy textile industry due to the hard work of people from the lower class, which was later termed slavery at that time. Sustained growth and industrialisation were at their peak when white people in the South enjoyed the hard work of Black people in their area.
Involved People:
The major involvement in this system of slavery was observed due to White people. Race has always been an issue in the premises of America, and it then formed the basis of this system of slavery.
Conditions:
Slavery in Southern America is termed as a consequence of the Civil War. Many people still believe that slavery could have been avoided if there had been no Civil War in American society. When the country was divided on the basis of North and South, the elite class was highly present in the Southern area. This gave the people in the South a chance to utilize their dominance. This was when they started differentiating among people on the basis of their race. People of different or minority races were exposed to slavery in either domestic service or professional work. The slave trade was common in those days. People were treated like things at the time.
Timeframe:
The Southern American system of slavery started in the 17th century when the dominance of white Americans was easily observed by many people.
Major Location:
According to the report given by the American Federal government, south of the Mason and Dixon Line, the Ohio River and the 36°30′ parallel are considered to be the major locations showing high signs of slavery in these areas. Other than this, the areas of Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia are also included (Slavery & Wright, 2018).
Similarities And Differences:
Slavery in the Roman system was based on skilled and unskilled professionals, while slavery in the Southern American system was due to differences in race and other such factors in society. However, both systems of slavery shared one common interest, which is the involvement of oppression and inequality in society.
Conclusion
Slavery is one of the most dangerous aspects of society that has been creating differences in the lives of people on the basis of inequality. Inequality has added to social imbalance. The two most common systems of slavery are the Roman slavery system and the Southern American slavery system. These systems have marked an important place in history in different time intervals. The Roman slavery system consisted of skilled and unskilled slaves who were then allotted work according to their talents. On the other hand, the Southern American slavery system was due to the dominance of White Americans in society. This system started off in the 17th century, with many areas of the South being victims of this system.
References:
Cartwright, M., & Cartwright, M. (2018). Slavery in the Roman World. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 22 March 2018, from https://www.ancient.eu/article/629/slavery-in-the-roman-world/
Slavery, S., & Wright, C. (2018). Slavery in History « Free the Slaves. Freetheslaves.net. Retrieved 22 March 2018, from https://www.freetheslaves.net/about-slavery/slavery-in-history/
The South | region, United States. (2018). Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 22 March 2018, from https://www.britannica.com/place/the-South-region
Academic Master Education Team is a group of academic editors and subject specialists responsible for producing structured, research-backed essays across multiple disciplines. Each article is developed following Academic Master’s Editorial Policy and supported by credible academic references. The team ensures clarity, citation accuracy, and adherence to ethical academic writing standards
Content reviewed under Academic Master Editorial Policy.
