Impact of Slavery on Social Relationships in Colonial Latin America

This article examines the impact of the system of slavery on social relationships in colonial Latin America. It discusses the positive effects such as intermarriage, cultural exchange, and food security, as well as the negative effects including erosion of civil rights, racism, and discrimination. The article concludes by emphasizing the need to discourage slavery and human trafficking.

Sociology
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What impact did the system of slavery have on social relationships in colonial Latin
America?
Introduction
Slavery is said to be a system which involves the application of principles of property law by
allowing an individual to possess, buy and sell other people. In this system, the slaves are unable
to withdraw from the arrangements and they offer services without remuneration.1 Briefly, the
slaves are denied basic human rights.
Atlantic slave trade or transatlantic slave trade involved the slave traders' transportation of the
enslaved African individuals to Latin America. During the Atlantic slave trade, Latin America
acted as the major destination for the African slaves exported from Africa. The slaves were sold
to provide labor in the American plantation owners.
Discussion
The slavery system widely affected the social relationship in Latin America in both negative and
positive perspectives. Positive impacts enhanced cohesion in the region while negative impacts
led to the destruction of the relationship between the local people and the slaves.
The social relationship can be said to be a major factor that defines the economic and political
relationship in a defined region.2 For example, when a healthy social relationship coexist among
1 Bennett. "Writing into a VoidREPRESENTING SLAVERY AND FREEDOM IN THE NARRATIVE OF
COLONIAL SPANISH AMERICA,79.
2 Escobar. Culture, economics, and politics in Latin American social movements theory and research, 62-
86).

individuals, both economic and political backgrounds experiences a positive growth. When
social relationships are negatively influenced, the economic and political sectors experience
negative growth.
Inter-marriages between the locals and the slaves is one of positive impact that was resulted by
slavery system. Some decades after slavery, the slaves ended up marrying local people which
enhanced their lively hood and eroded the animosity that the slaves were exposed to. 3This
positive impact took decades before it was noticed. Initially no slave was allowed to marry the
whites as they faced discrimination and racism.
Another positive impact is the Culture exchange. The colonial Latin American individuals had
different cultural background compared to the slaves. Through intermarriages, the new cultural
background grew which compromised the American culture and African culture.4 Such an
impact led to positive growth in a social relationship at the colonial Latin American. Cultural
exchange was noticed soon after the local and the slaves were allowed to inter-marry.
Food security growth describes another positive effect that was noticed in Latin America. The
slaves were bought for the provision of cheap labor in the American farms. Cheap labor
proportionally led to an improvement in food production which enhanced food security in the
region. Such a social impact contributed to the positive growth of relationship in Latin American.
3 Glenn, Evelyn Nakano. "Settler colonialism as structure: A framework for comparative studies of US
race and gender formation." ,7252.
4 Grosfoguel. "Decolonizing post-colonial studies and paradigms of political-economy: Transmodernity,
decolonial thinking, and global coloniality,67.

For example, the farmers noticed an increment in their farm produce after making the slaves free.
By freeing the slaves also initiated the development of a healthy relationship between the local
and the slaves grew which made slaves feel like part of the team which contributed to the growth
in food security sectors.
The agricultural invention portrayed a positive impact in the region. The system of slavery led to
the invention in agricultural sectors as there was the availability of labor. Some of the invention
made in a way influenced the social relationship. For example, the machines were invested
which replace human labor.5 With machines, the slaves were now treated in a better way
compared to the beginning. The invention in agricultural sectors is believed to have occurred as a
result of adequate labor provided by the slaves, which made it possible for the farmers and
investors to concentrates on the research on more reliable sources for labor.6
Another positive effect is growth of transportation sectors. With ready labor, there was
exploitation in the transportation sectors. This enhanced the transportation of people(both local
and slaves) to different parts hence allowing people from different region meet which in a way
contributed to the growth of the social relationship. The slavery system widely participated in
transportation growth. .
Erosion of Civil rights describe a negative impact in the region. This is the rights that citizens
enjoy to social freedom, political freedom, and equality. Civil rights widely affected the social
5 Isfahani-Hammond.The masters and the slaves: plantation relations and mestizaje in American
imaginaries,90.
6 Keith, Verna & Carla. "Histories of colorism and implications for education,7.

relationship coexistence in the region. The slavery system led to pollution of civil rights of the
slaves. The slaves were treated like animals in the labor provision whereby they were never
given any chance to express their opinion. Such a denial of civil rights negatively influenced the
social relationship between the locals and the slaves.
The affection of freedom of religion. In the beginning the slaves in America felt discriminated in
the religion sector as they were forced to leave the religious beliefs and adopting the religion
believes in the new region/America.
The linguistic barrier to communication. This is the difficulty that is experienced by individuals
who speak varying languages. Most of the slaves in America were traded from Africa. The
African people could not speak the American languages. 7This majorly influenced negatively the
social relationship in the region.it was difficult for the farmers and the slaves to easily understand
each other due to different languages. The language barrier initially affected the rate of
production as there existed a lot of misunderstanding in the labor provision.
Insecurity to the farmers. It can be said to be the lack of confidence in the sectors of safety. The
system of slavery in Latin America affected the security level of the individual in the region.8
Such a factor widely contributed to the negative impact on the social relationship in the region.
For example, the locals felt it difficult to trust the slaves and ended up mistreating them so that
they could fear them. Also while working in the farms, the farmers felt unsafe as they no longer
knew what kind of people they were working with. Fear resulted in a poor social relationship.
7 O'Brien. "A critique of Latin American theories of dependency,98
8 Patterson. Slavery and Social Death,218.

Racism in the region. This is the discrimination against individuals of a different race which is
based on the personal belief that a certain race is superior to the other. The system of slavery
boosted the racism level in the region. Most of the slaves were black and the whites believed that
their race was superior to the others.9 This led to psychological and physical impact to the slaves
which ended up eroding the coexistence of healthy social relationship.
Health sectors discrimination. The healthy practices in colonial Latin America affected the social
relationship in the region. The slaves were subjected to poor health practices while others were
left to die. The white people enjoyed first class medication. Such an effect of the slavery system
affected the social relationship in the region. For example when the slaves observed one of their
partner subjected to such condition they developed a negative attitude toward the whites hence
affecting the relationship.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the system of slavery can be said to widely have influenced the social relationship
in colonial Latin America in various ways. As discussed the slavery had both positive and
negative impact on the region.10 The slavery trade should be discouraged as it affects the slaves
in a wide range. The human tracking practices have globally increased. Such practices which
involve buying and selling of human should be discouraged due to various reason.one is that a
free person is more productive compared to a slave. This because the person undertakes his/her
duties in one heart without any supervision. Also delivers to his/her best and cautiously to avoid
any chances of error.
9 Polanco,. Indigenous peoples in Latin America,78..
10 Socolow, Susan Migden. The women of colonial Latin America,116.

Secondly, slavery or human-trafficking results to complete separation of the individuals from
their loved one which affects them psychologically degrading their productivity.
Though the system of slavery have been observed to have some positive attributes in the Latin
America this doesn’t mean that it should be allowed. All of the positive impacts noticed in the
system of the slavery take decades to be noticed.
Bibliography
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NARRATIVE OF COLONIAL SPANISH AMERICA." Social Text 25, no. 4 (93) (2007): 67-90.
Escobar, A. Culture, economics, and politics in Latin American social movements theory and research.
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American imaginaries. Palgrave Macmillan, 2017.
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University Press, 2018.
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