Development of Chattel Slavery and the Emergence of Race

2. How did the development of chattel slavery influence the emergence of "race"
before 1700?
Slavery is defined as bondage and subjugation of people for labour and other work.
The history of slavery can be dated back to ancient world when the captives of battles were
imprisoned and made to do tough labor by their masters1. The slavery and bondage labor
were rampant in America from the end of 16th to the initial years of 17th century, and were
present for varied purposes and kinds. In United States, the phenomenon could be attributed
to the chattel slavery which started before 1700. Though the chattel slavery was initiated with
the intent of labor in plantations, it also led to the emergence “race”, as people noted the
difference in color, physical attributes and lifestyle.
The Europeans migrated to United States with the intent of colonization, and
exploitation of the local resources. However, they felt a dire need of labour for the
manufacture of gods and services. Majority of the Native Indians had died due to the onset of
diseases that the European invaders got with them and also because of their exploitation.
Thus, there were not much people left who could do the labor jobs on agriculture, plantations
and mining production. Thus, Africans were bargained, and bought into America as human
cargo on ships. The mass export of Africans from their homeland set the stage for the chattel
slavery2.
A prime reason for the rise of race was not just the chattel slavery, but the difference
in color, physical attributes and the lifestyle that whites found between them and the
Africans. They were deemed fit to work on plantation because of their ability to endure
working on tough terrains and in extreme conditions. The specialized produce from these
plantations were sold in the international markets by their masters3. In return, they were kept
1 Michael Guasco, Slaves and Englishmen: Human Bondage in the Early Modern Atlantic
World (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2014).
2 Asante, Molefi Kete, The History of Africa. London: Routledge, 2007
3 Philip Curtin, The Rise and Fall of the Plantation Complex: Essays in Atlantic History (New
York: Cambridge University Press, 1990), 40