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Name Instructor Course Date Race-based Slavery There have been many pieces of evidence pointing towards the existence of slavery in the past centuries. The written history, ranging from poems to history books, is one of the tools that have been used by historians over the years to trace back to the life during those centuries. However, the development of the Atlantic Slave Trade brought in a new type of slavery, which was entirely based on races. In this new chapter of life, race determined whether you were a slave or a free man. This essay will focus on the concept of blackness and the justifications of race-based slavery according to the Europeans. The word 'race' had no real social meaning before the early years of the 16th century. Different terms such as ‘white' and ‘black,' had very little meaning in the lives of the people (Jordan et al. 7). When England entered into its colonial era, it began with Ireland where the British learned the benefits of having a plantation colony. They, therefore, decided to extend their jurisdiction to other continents, with Africa included. The British captured the Irish, imprisoned them and later sold them to the Americans. Their transportation was no better than that of the Atlantic Slave Trade. During this time, the whites and the blacks were still considered equals regarding slavery. The concept of capturing people and using them in farms was still based on religion, with those who were not Christians being taken captive. By 1650, this had taken another turn. Slavery was now based on color and not religion. Nathaniel Bacon, a renowned rebel, led a group of Blacks and poor whites in Virginia in 1676. Bacon's
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