Did You Know
 that White People

also suffered from slavery?

 

The book quotes from an article by Elaine Kendall. In the article published by the Los Angeles Times on September 1, 1985, she writes,“Who wants to be reminded that half — perhaps as many as two-thirds — of the original American colonists came here, not of their own free will, but kidnapped, shanghaied, impressed, duped, beguiled, and yes, in chains? …we tend to gloss over it… we’d prefer to forget the whole sorry chapter.” (1)

 

 It also quotes Janet Levy in an article titled "The Forgotten History of Britain's White Slaves in America" notes that there was "a high level of demand  sustained by a continuous flow of white slaves from England, Ireland, and Scotland from 1618 to 1775, who were imported to serve America's colonial masters.

 

"Around 1618 at the start of their colonial slave trade, the English began by seizing and shipping to Virginia impoverished children, even toddlers, from London slums.  Some impoverished parents sought a better life for their offspring and agreed to send them, but most often, the children were sent despite their own protests and those of their families. Tragically, once these unfortunate youngsters arrived, 50% of them were dead within a year after being sold to farmers to work the fields."

 

"A few months after the first shipment of children, the first African slaves were shipped to Virginia.  Interestingly, no American market existed for African slaves until late in the 17th century.  Until then, black slave traders typically took their cargo to Bermuda.  England's poor were the colonies' preferred source of slave labor, even though Europeans were more likely than Africans to die an early death in the fields.  Slave owners had a greater interest in keeping African slaves alive because they represented a more significant investment.  Black slaves received better treatment than Europeans on plantations, as they were viewed as valuable..." (2)

 

In addition James Martin in an article "The Irish Slave Trade -The Forgotten "White" Slaves" states that, "The Irish slave trade began when 30,000 Irish prisoners were sold as slaves to the New World. Ireland quickly became the biggest source of human livestock for English merchants. The majority of the early slaves to the New World were actually white.  During the 1650s, over 100,000 Irish children between the ages of 10 and 14 were taken from their parents and sold as slaves in the West Indies, Virginia and New England." (3)

 

 

You can read more, if you wish, from these links:

(1) The Truth About Slavery by Michael Hoffmsn
https://bit.ly/2BNe2BP

(2) The Forgotten History of Britain's White Slaves in America
https://bit.ly/3i8J87v

(3) The Irish Slave Trade – The Forgotten “White” Slaves
https://bit.ly/3g9PmC6