SLAVERY AND CAPITALISM

• 1. Why do people argue that the relationship between capitalism and slavery has meaning today?

  • It highlights the historical role of slavery in fueling economic development and shaping capitalist systems
  • It underscores the enduring legacy of slavery in contemporary economic inequalities and social injustices, particularly in terms of race and class
  • It challenges conventional narratives of capitalism as a force for progress and prosperity, emphasizing its reliance on exploitation and coercion
• 1. Why does capitalism theoretically promote free rather than enslaved labor?

  • capitalism promotes labor done by free people rather than slavery
• 1. What evidence, from the United States, is cited to support the argument that enslaved labor was an inefficient system for the owners of businesses?


  • wage workers in the industrial north of the country were more efficient than enslaved workers in the plantation south
• 1. How are abolitionism to industrialists connected?


  • Some industrialists supported abolitionist movements due to moral or humanitarian reasons, viewing slavery as incompatible with their beliefs in freedom and equality
  • Abolitionist movements challenged the economic interests of slaveholders and plantation owners, advocating for the abolition of slavery and the expansion of free labor
  • Industrialists recognized the potential benefits of free labor systems for industrial production, as they relied on a mobile and flexible workforce rather than a system based on forced labor
• How might have the Atlantic slave trade helped to stimulate industrialization and capitalism?

  Slave labor played a crucial role in the production of commodities such as sugar, cotton, and tobacco, which were major drivers of global trade and commerce during the early stages of capitalism
• How might have the Atlantic slave trade helped to stimulate industrialization and capitalism?

  Profits from the slave trade and slave-produced goods contributed to the accumulation of capital, investment in industries, and the expansion of global markets
• How might have the Atlantic slave trade helped to stimulate industrialization and capitalism?


  Industries such as shipbuilding, finance, and insurance prospered from their involvement in the slave trade, providing essential services and infrastructure to support the trade's operations
• Capitalism


  Fueled economic growth and industrialization through the exploitation of labor, including enslaved peoples, contributing to the expansion of global trade networks and the rise of industrial economies
• Slavery


  Served as a foundational institution within capitalist systems, providing cheap labor and generating wealth for capitalist enterprises
• Abolitionist movement


  Challenged the economic and moral foundations of slavery, highlighting the contradictions of capitalism and advocating for social and economic justice
• The legacy of capitalism and slavery continues to shape contemporary economic inequalities and social structures, underscoring the need for ongoing efforts to address systemic injustices and promote equitable economic systems