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In the U.S we sometimes hear that America's wealth was built from slavery. But other countries in the western hemisphere also had slavery. Not many of these countries are as developed as they could be. So is saying slavery is what built the U.S an over simplification?
In the U.S we sometimes hear that America's wealth was built from slavery. But other countries in the western hemisphere also had slavery. Not many of these countries are as developed as they could be. So is saying slavery is what built the U.S an over simplification?
Despite not being equal in development to the US, there's still substantial development and a lot of the development that there is was partially built on the back of slave, free labour. That's undeniable, so no it's not an over simplification.
Also Latin American countries stopped using slave labour a lot earlier than the US, namely the southern states. And never established lawful segregation as in the States - so the US benefited from longer years of slave labour.
Despite not being equal in development to the US, there's still substantial development and a lot of the development that there is was partially built on the back of slave, free labour. That's undeniable, so no it's not an over simplification.
Also Latin American countries stopped using slave labour a lot earlier than the US, namely the southern states. And never established lawful segregation as in the States - so the US benefited from longer years of slave labour.
You can't compare the raw natural resources of the USA to small islands. I think Trinidad is one of the few islands with significant raw natural resources such as gas and pitch and there is no way in hell your compare that to what the USA has in terms of volume and variety of resources.
Ex you have salves picking bananas and mangoes or sale vs slaves working large cotton, tobaco fields or mines. The countries with the more value resources being collected are going to profit more.
The USA is HUGE! The natural resources contained in the country are HUGE!
The islands don't have that same level of resources to gain profit from.
Question is way too broad...the only legitimate comparison that could be made with this question is to compare the USA and Brazil (only country that I think could compare in this context) and study the history of both nations and how slavery evolved in both
In the U.S we sometimes hear that America's wealth was built from slavery. But other countries in the western hemisphere also had slavery. Not many of these countries are as developed as they could be. So is saying slavery is what built the U.S an over simplification?
You're asking a very loaded question and you're expecting a very simple answer. You're not gonna get it. Latin America and the Caribbean benefited in many ways from slavery too, especially countries like Cuba. It's just that the way that they used the money from slavery was mismanaged. USA had much better planning than any Latin American country. Not that the US didn't benefit from slavery, but just that it used the money derived from it in a very intelligent manner, whereas other countries didn't
You can ask a similar question about colonies. Why are Spain and Portugal so much poorer than England and Netherlands despite all four countries having a large amount of colonies? The answer is that one pair of countries colonized intelligently, while the other pair didn't
What role did the U.S economic system of freer markets,it's legal system and democracy play in building the wealth of the U.S? What other countries in the western hemisphere has practiced the type of capitalism and democracy that you find here in the U.S? Didn't these things play a bigger role in building the U.S economy more than just slavery?
Slave were not only black, and these conquistadors used very cheap labor ,from the natives, to make things happen. so when I conquer your country, better believe I am going to exploit your people.
Eventually , the Spanish resorted to a caste system, ending slavery, but not those super low paying jobs. It still happens today! Outside the US, they are still mining, still cutting sugar fields by hand, still picking tobacco, and paying peanuts for labor. take it or leave it! with no other opportunities around, people are forced to do the work.
in the US , you still have pickers , and farm hands, paid in cash with no OT. we still have nannys and housekeepers, forced to work 80 hours a week, with their passport hidden for collateral . you still have sex trafficking, which in some cases , means servicing each john, and only getting $10 a pop. that $5 per hour, cash job , and them working 60 hours a week for a measly $300 per week paycheck, is not far from being a slave.
all this talk about illegals in the US, but no one is crying foul when we enjoy our fruits and veggie, and our deli sandwich. no one is saying anything when you have a 14 year old illegal immigrant washing dishes in the back,and dumping the piles of garbage in a dumpster. Its happening right before your eyes ,everyday, but we stay blind.
In the U.S we sometimes hear that America's wealth was built from slavery. But other countries in the western hemisphere also had slavery. Not many of these countries are as developed as they could be. So is saying slavery is what built the U.S an over simplification?
Slavery didn't build Americas economic power.
What built America was a system that allowed for relatively stable land ownership and property rights + the Industrial Revolution + a culture that fostered innovation and entrepreneurship. Also social and political institutions that continually evolved to accommodate greater democratic expansion and education of its population. These are the areas where America outpaced the other western hemisphere nations (except for Canada). Slavery if anything, kept modern industrialization from developing in the south sooner. America could be even wealthier had slavery ended sooner I think. The race-caste politics of Jim Crow which involved the oppression of their black population also depressed domestic production.
Slavery didn't build Americas economic power.
What built America was a system that allowed for relatively stable land ownership and property rights + the Industrial Revolution + a culture that fostered innovation and entrepreneurship. Also social and political institutions that continually evolved to accommodate greater democratic expansion and education of its population. These are the areas where America outpaced the other western hemisphere nations (except for Canada). Slavery if anything, kept modern industrialization from developing in the south sooner. America could be even wealthier had slavery ended sooner I think. The race-caste politics of Jim Crow which involved the oppression of their black population also depressed domestic production.
As far as the Industrial Revolution. How much did slavery contribute to it? Slavery contributing to the Industrial Revolution seems to be where many get the idea that slavery played a significant role in building the U.S. But they overlook the other things you pointed out.
"Not only did southern cotton feed northern textile mills, but northern insurers and transporters played a major part in the growth of the modern slave economy of the cotton south."
Question is way too broad...the only legitimate comparison that could be made with this question is to compare the USA and Brazil (only country that I think could compare in this context) and study the history of both nations and how slavery evolved in both
The US have had its Industrial revolution in the same time than European powers... It is the the main reason of US’s development.
The slavery in fact underdevelop economies because it don’t alowe the emerging of an internal consumer marketing.
In Brazil for example the main reason of São Paulo state be much richer is because when the big money of coffee plantations flooded São Paulo’s economy the slavery in Brasil has already over, so the millions of labors in coffee plantations had income, a big internal market was created making possible support an industrialization of the State because we had rich people with capital to open factories (the big farmers) and millions of people with some money to buy the stuffs from these companies.
In northest Brazil how they have had the cycle of suggar and cotton in slavery times all the big money got in few hands (Brazilians and Europeans) with no local reinvestment and most people there is poor until today.
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