Global Commerce Part 2

Whenever I read about slavery, I can’t help but think about how much these people must have suffered. This leads me to think about how different the world really is. Strayer made some very interesting points in tonight’s reading assignment. The first fact that I found interesting was when he mentioned the only reason why African Americas were the best bet in being slaves was because they were not Christian, and they did not die due to European diseases. When I first read these two points I was appalled. I couldn’t help but think if the slaves were converted to Christianity then millions of lives would have been saved. The Europeans believed that Christianity was a reason for not being put to work and that was why Europeans were never used as slaves. So now I wonder, if some of the slaves were to be converted by their owners would that have made them free? Would that have saved them from such misery?

            The second point that I found interesting was when Strayer brought about the story about how slave traders were victims themselves. It’s had to feel pity for people that are ruining the lives of the slaves. While I was reading the story of the slave traders being tricked into getting drunk and then having them thrown over the ship, I couldn’t help but think that these were the same tactics that the slave traders used to get their slaves. They should have known better than to trust the merchants because all the people involved in the slave trades are selfish people. They are only looking out for their best interests.