Tuesday, February 12, 2008
2 weeks!!!!
Ok I can't stand it, in 13 days I will be in Rome. I've actually been to Europe before- Spain and Africa (Morrocco), but that was 20 years ago. I'm looking forward to Rome and Pompei. In England I'm looking forward to Stonehenge. So much history...so little time. I'm gonna miss Goose the most, she's a 3 year weimaraner and a spaz!!!! Like mother like daughter hahahaha. She will be at doggy daycare, her favorite place!
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Slavery in Ancient Rome
Since I was going to be Rome in a few weeks, I thought I would research slavery in ancient Rome. Slavery was common throughout ancient history but the Romans owned more slaves than any other people in history. It is estimated that anwhere from 25-35% of the people in ancient Rome were slaves. Slaves were sold in slave markets. Slaves were soldiers captured in war while others were born to slave parents. There was a law that said a father could sell his older children if he needed the money.
Slaves performed many duties: they were farmers, shop managers, and public workers. Slaves in ancient Rome were given many privileges and treated rather well. In fact, the Saturnalia Festival allowed masters and slaves to switch places for a day. This was so that both may be thankful for each other and enjoy a good time.
Some Romans were not as kind to their slaves. They received cruel and inhumane treatment, some were sold into prostitution, and physically abused. Some were gladiators that had to fight animals to the death for entertainment of the Romans. One famous gladiator, Spartacus led a slave revolt that destroyed several Roman armies.
Once bought as a slave you were usually a slave for life. Freeing a slave was called "manumissio" meaning 'sending out from the hand'. Done publically by a public official who would touch the slaves head with a staff and he was free to go. There were only a few ways a slave could be freed : a good deed toward the master, by statement in a master's will upon death, or raising enough money to buy your freedom for the same amount your master paid for you; this was virtually impossible as slaves were not allowed to own money. Emperor Augustus passed a law proclaiming that no Roman slave could be freed before the age of 30.
www.historylearningsite.co.uk/roman_slaves.htm
http://en.wikipedia.or/wiki/slavery_in_ancient_rome
Slaves performed many duties: they were farmers, shop managers, and public workers. Slaves in ancient Rome were given many privileges and treated rather well. In fact, the Saturnalia Festival allowed masters and slaves to switch places for a day. This was so that both may be thankful for each other and enjoy a good time.
Some Romans were not as kind to their slaves. They received cruel and inhumane treatment, some were sold into prostitution, and physically abused. Some were gladiators that had to fight animals to the death for entertainment of the Romans. One famous gladiator, Spartacus led a slave revolt that destroyed several Roman armies.
Once bought as a slave you were usually a slave for life. Freeing a slave was called "manumissio" meaning 'sending out from the hand'. Done publically by a public official who would touch the slaves head with a staff and he was free to go. There were only a few ways a slave could be freed : a good deed toward the master, by statement in a master's will upon death, or raising enough money to buy your freedom for the same amount your master paid for you; this was virtually impossible as slaves were not allowed to own money. Emperor Augustus passed a law proclaiming that no Roman slave could be freed before the age of 30.
www.historylearningsite.co.uk/roman_slaves.htm
http://en.wikipedia.or/wiki/slavery_in_ancient_rome
Thursday, February 7, 2008
William Wilberforce Biography
William Wilberforce was born in Kingston-upon-Hull, England in 1759 to a wealthy Methodist family. At 17, he went to St. John College in Cambridge. It was there he became good friends with William Pitt, who later would become Britain's youngest prime minister. At the age of 20, William left university for a career in politics. At 24 he was elected to Parliament for the county seat of Yorkshire. In 1759, he coverted to Evangelical Christianity and became interested in social reform. It was then that he was approached by Lady Millington to help bring an end to the slave trade.
Petitions to end the slave trade had been introduced twice before, once in 1783 and again in 1787, but were unsucessful. In 1791, Wilberforce presented his first bill to abolish the slave trade and it too was defeated. He did so again in 1792, and it was suggested there be an amendment to his Abolition Bill that used the word "gradual"-making gradual abolition the law. This still was still to mean - no total abolition. Wilberforce had introduced his Abolition Bill almost every year in the 1790's, then again in 1804 and 1805, but still no luck.
Finally, in 1807 with the support of the new Whig Administration, Parliament voted in favor of abolition and the Abolition Act finally became a law making slave trading on British ships illegal. However, slavery still existed in the British colonies. In 1812, Wilberforce started work on a Slavery Registration Bill. The bill stated that if slaves were registered than it could prove whether they had been recently transported from Africa.
In 1825, Wilberforce resigned from the House of Commons but continued to speak about ending slavery in the British colonies. IN 1833 Parliament finally passed the Slavery Abolition Act. This act gave all slaves in the British empire their freedom. Three days after the act was passed, Wilberforce died.
http://www.brycchancarey.com/abolition/wilberforce.html
www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/REwilberforce.htm
Petitions to end the slave trade had been introduced twice before, once in 1783 and again in 1787, but were unsucessful. In 1791, Wilberforce presented his first bill to abolish the slave trade and it too was defeated. He did so again in 1792, and it was suggested there be an amendment to his Abolition Bill that used the word "gradual"-making gradual abolition the law. This still was still to mean - no total abolition. Wilberforce had introduced his Abolition Bill almost every year in the 1790's, then again in 1804 and 1805, but still no luck.
Finally, in 1807 with the support of the new Whig Administration, Parliament voted in favor of abolition and the Abolition Act finally became a law making slave trading on British ships illegal. However, slavery still existed in the British colonies. In 1812, Wilberforce started work on a Slavery Registration Bill. The bill stated that if slaves were registered than it could prove whether they had been recently transported from Africa.
In 1825, Wilberforce resigned from the House of Commons but continued to speak about ending slavery in the British colonies. IN 1833 Parliament finally passed the Slavery Abolition Act. This act gave all slaves in the British empire their freedom. Three days after the act was passed, Wilberforce died.
http://www.brycchancarey.com/abolition/wilberforce.html
www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/REwilberforce.htm
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Willian Wilberforce and Olaudah Equiano
In the interest of previosly mentioned research on the burial site of William Wilberforce at Westminster Abbey I found out that Wilberforce had originally chosen a vault at Stoke Newington. (A district in the London Borough of Hackney) However, Parliament had made a formal demand to his sons for his interment at Westminster Abbey (North Transept) He is buried near his good friend and former Prime Minister William Pitt. (More on Wilberforce later)
www.orwin.karoo.net/people/dead/People/wilberforce.html
Olaudah Equiano, a former slave who helped influence Parliament to abolish the slave trade is buried in Stoke Newington. Equiano was lucky enough (besides being captured and traded several times) to eventually free himself from slavery. He was able to read and write and he possessed seaman skills which made him undesirable to slave traders. He was bought by Robert King from Philadelphia who wanted him to work his shipping routes and in his stores and offered him a chance to buy his freedom. When he made enough money he was able to buy his freedom for the exact price that King had paid for him. King taught him further reading and writing, taught him Christianity, and allowed him to engage in trading. Once he bought his freedom he returned to England to join William Wilberforce in his crusade to end the slave trade in England.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/olaudah_equiano
www.orwin.karoo.net/people/dead/People/wilberforce.html
Olaudah Equiano, a former slave who helped influence Parliament to abolish the slave trade is buried in Stoke Newington. Equiano was lucky enough (besides being captured and traded several times) to eventually free himself from slavery. He was able to read and write and he possessed seaman skills which made him undesirable to slave traders. He was bought by Robert King from Philadelphia who wanted him to work his shipping routes and in his stores and offered him a chance to buy his freedom. When he made enough money he was able to buy his freedom for the exact price that King had paid for him. King taught him further reading and writing, taught him Christianity, and allowed him to engage in trading. Once he bought his freedom he returned to England to join William Wilberforce in his crusade to end the slave trade in England.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/olaudah_equiano
Monday, February 4, 2008
First time Blogger
Ok, so I did it!!!! This is my first official Blog. Yeah!! I'm still learning as I go along. As soon as I figure out exactly how this works I will begin posting my findings on the Atlantic slave trade as well as information on slavery as it applys to the web project and my upcoming trip to Europe.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
