Friday, February 03, 2006

"Earliest physical evidence of slavery in North America" discovered in Mexico

The remains of African slaves were recently discovered in a Mexican graveyard from the 16th century. This confirms that slaves were being brought in shortly after Europeans had conquered Mexico. The remains are said to be the "earliest physical evidence of slavery in North America."

An interesting aspect of the story relates directly to our discussion about the differences between slavery in different regions.
"...African slaves were given Christian burials on hallowed ground within the city walls but separate from the Spaniards.

Such practices contrasted sharply with the way slaves were treated on plantations farther north."

Here's the link to the article.

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