A True and Exact History of the Island of Barbadoes

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Whether native or foreign, the forced laborers discussed in the five historical documents—“A True and Exact History of the Island of Barbadoes”, “Description of a Slave Market in Rio de Janeiro”, “Notes on the Treatment of the Natives in Northeast Siberia”, “Mercury Mining in Huanacavelica and Silver Mining in Potosí”, and “The General Slavery at Achin”—were impelled to fulfill responsibilities and lead lives that were believably unnatural, being that those laborers forced to work were typically exposed to extreme and destitute living conditions due to the mandatory demands of their overseer, while those “enslaved” in the country of Sumatra were allowed profuse independency in comparison to drudges elsewhere in the world. Depending on their geographic location, some forced laborers shared a similar style of governance, while the others faced severely contrasting ways of life.

As part of the Atlantic chattel slavery system, Ligon explained the harsh lifestyle and living conditions that the autonomous society forced upon its laborers in 17th century Barbados through his written description in “A True and Exact History of the Island of Barbadoes”. According to Ligon, “the grueling work…during the harvest season ran without stopping from Monday at 1 A.M. through Saturday night” (Richard Ligon 114). Any educated reader could infer that the mandated labor created an extreme and highly unreasonable lifestyle that is unnatural for any human being. Living conditions included scarce meals, where “the servants [ate] no bone meat at all, unless an ox died and then they were feasted as long as that lasted. And till they had planted good store plantains, the Negroes were fed with food which gave them much discontent,” and living quarters were...

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...ouses, as if they were free People” (Captain William Dampier 142). In comparison to the strict, intolerant ways of forced labor discussed previously, Sumatra’s enslavement appeared significantly more permissive, allowing laborers to act more freely and independent.

Whether native or foreign to the lands on which the enslaved were forced to labor, the good majority of forced laborers were impelled by their overseer to deal with extreme conditions and perform unnatural duties. Experiencing destitute conditions and intense responsibility was a major part in the lives of most forced laborers, but for the rare extremity, slaves had a more significant amount of freedom. Although the typical enslaved peoples faced similar governing dominance and autonomy, there were others who experienced differing lifestyles. This definitely makes for worlds together, yet worlds apart.

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