Caribbean Interlude
Most of the Africans, who were enslaved and brought to the New World,
came to the American colonies after a period of seasoning in the
Caribbean islands. To the Europeans who had settled in America
the Colonies were their new home and they strove to develop a
prosperous and secure society in which to live and raise their
families. They hesitated to bring their slaves directly from
Africa as they believed that Africans were brutal, barbaric
savages who would present a real danger to the safety and security
of their new homes. Instead, they preferred to purchase slaves
who had already been tested and broken.
In contrast to this, Europeans who had gone to the Caribbean
islands did not consider the New World as their new home. The
island plantations were to be exploited to provide the wealth with
with which their owners could return to Europe and live like
gentlemen. Many of them did not bring their families to the islands,
or, when they did, their stay was a temporary one. Therefore, they
were more willing than were the Americans to purchase slaves
directly from Africa.
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