Effects/Origins of Racism :: essays research papers

Today, the United States is respected around the world as an international business powerhouse, notorious for a flourishing capitalistic marketplace. However, the very foundation for this commercial capitalist market was rooted in the exploitation of Africans. At first, the primary use of North American land was to provide the raw materials necessary for the British to produce goods to the end user. The need for cheap laborers soon arose. Europeans filled this void through the use of free laborers—African slaves. Africans were viewed as inferior beings, mere property to be traded and used like a horse or a cow, which gave Europeans the notion that this practice was morally acceptable. At first, only wealthy Europeans could afford the goods produced by the African slave trade; however, the goods soon became affordable to the middle class and the demand for additional slaves grew rapidly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the time of the American Revolution, slavery was the very basis for the American economy. Most of the country’s industries revolved around and depended upon the use of traded peoples. If not directly using Africans to provide labor, most businesses in America somehow related to the use of this free labor and all Europeans benefited in some way. Textiles manufacturing was the staple industry during the Industrial Revolution, most of whose raw cotton was grown by enslaved Africans. Those not directly involved in the trade of Africans benefited from the purchase and sale of products created by the slavery system. The triangular trade emerged, allowing Europe and the American colonies to benefit, while exploiting blacks even further (to gain economically in Africa, one would have to take part in the trade by providing the laborers). The textile industry’s success was based on the use of slave labor, and without it, it’s questionable whether the U.S. would have become a major industrial power.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sons and grandsons of the earlier traders in slaves and slave-produced products benefited both directly (by becoming captains of the industries fueled by the slave trade) and indirectly (by the intergenerational transference of wealth). Americans not only gained economically, but also in terms of living conditions and life expectancies. Even the educational system (i.e. Brown University) benefited from the profits of the slave trade. Political figures that helped form the bases for our nation’s principles and are commonly viewed today as respectable, noble men (such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson) were able to live their luxurious lifestyles because of their slave ownership.