[ExI] History of Slavery

[spike]

...

>Slavery of course was an accepted part of a great many
societies for thousands of years.  China and India had
a great many slaves. ...Lee


If you haven't already, I highly recommend the movie Amistad.  It was based
on a true story about a successful revolt on a slave ship, and the many
legal paradoxes raised.  In warfare, teamwork is everything.  If slave
traders are in the business long enough, they will eventually transport a
group that understands this, and will rise up and whoop ass.  The Amistad
passengers did so, slew the traders, then managed to sail the vessel on
across the sea to America.

Upon arrival, it isn't at all clear what is their legal status.  They aren't
technically slaves until they are sold, so they would be prisoners of war,
in which case rising up and slaying their captors would be a perfectly
legitimate military action.  They aren't murderers, since that is a crime
thought applicable only to Europeans, and in any case would not apply to a
military action.  They would be thought of as slaves, but no one owns them,
and technically these Africans own the ship Amistad by the maritime laws
then in force.

Eventually John Quincy Adams argues they should be free.  Most of the movie
is actually about the court case.  Hell of a good story.

spike