SLAVERY

THINGS I'VE HEARD

Slavery - why did we have it America?  why was it located in our southern states?  Here is a side of the story you may not have heard.

In the 17th century, our country was being settled by wealthy Europeans.  Taking advantage of inexpensive land and fertile soils, huge plantations were established - mostly to raise cotton which was in great demand.

To operate these plantations, a great number of workers was required.  Initially, poor Europeans were brought here as indentured servants/workers.  For the price of travel expenses to get to The New World and room and board, these people would agree to work on the plantation for six or seven years.  They would then be free.

Later in the 1600's, a wave of malaria swept through the warm coastal states of America.  It was an endemic form of malaria that the Europeans were not able to handle.  Though it didn't kill many, they  became sickly and weak from it and unable to work.

The landowner's solution was to send armed forces to Africa and capture as many strong young people as required, bring them to this country and put them into forced slavery.  You see, the red blood cells of most Africans was resistant to the Malaria parasite.

Sadly, though Black's of African descent are resistant to malaria, those same red blood cells are much more susceptible to a disease called Sickle Cell Anemia.