Dutch Slavery: The Dutch East Africa

Slavery refers to a condition in which individuals are owned by others, who control where they live and the work they perform. Slaves were a source of labour. When the society had more work than its own free people could do, they used to make other people do the work for them, without payment, as slaves. They were also imported once there was a shortage of slaves to do the hard labour. In war, the country that won took people from the loosing country and sold them as slaves. Under slavery the masters owned slaves just as they owned other property, such as clothes, houses or even cars. They got to own slaves by buying them, or by having been given them. Slavery had previously existed throughout history, in many times and most places. It was …show more content…
The Dutch formed the VOC which was the Dutch East India Company and the slaves were taken as ‘property’ of this company. The Dutch company came about after the Dutch colonized the Cape. The Khoikhoi and the San people were the first Bushmen and herdsmen to arrive in the Cape. The Dutch built refreshment stops where the sailors could have fresh food and water on their way to other countries to trade. They started to take over the KhoiKhoi and the San’s land and even took their livestock. They also started to have control over some of the Khoisan by taking their farms by force or by making they work for them, forcing the Khoisan into slavery. Most slaves came from around Africa, in places like Malaysia, Indonesia, east Africa, Mali and Mozambique. They were transported in ships and were cramped like sardines in a can. They were also sometimes chained to each other. Slaves were not always treated badly. They were valuable; as they helped the masters do the work. The men would plough the farm, build houses or do the entire house household’s work. Female slaves would mainly help in the house, cleaning, cooking or washing the washing. The children became slaves by being born into it and they would help their mothers. Slaves would get tired and were never given breaks in between …show more content…
Individual slaves were set free while the practice of slavery continued. Some were set free as a reward for hard work. Some slaves, who were allowed to earn money, could save enough to buy their own freedom. In a few cases, a free lover of a slave woman bought her freedom in order to marry her. Unfortunately, for some, they had to wait until they were freed even though they didn’t know this day would come.On the 1st December 1838, they finally had freedom. There were many discussions about how slaves should be set free. Owners were uncertain to set slaves free as it could mean a financial lost to them. They would also have less control over free labourers. One idea to end slavery constantly was that newborn babies should be born free. In that way slavery would eventually finish even though already-enslaved people would not obtain their freedom. In the end, all slaves in the British Empire were freed on 1 December 1834. Emancipation did not mean immediate freedom for slaves. There was the belief that slaves could not take care of themselves and had to get used to freedom gradually. In addition, the government also wanted to give slave owners time to adapt. Slaves therefore had to work for another four years as apprentices for their former owners. This meant that they had to continue to work for their former owners without pay. Many people regard 1 December 1838 as the real release day. The slave owners in the Cape Colony