Abolish Slavery In America

As European settlers set their voyage to the new world in search of riches, religious freedom or dissolving of political bands to their prior rule, a dark series of events is set stage on the Americas due to the need for a source of labor that is needed in order to literally build new independent nations. The United States and many South American countries took part in a regretful part of the history that led to the Slave trade, in fact Portuguese settlers in Brazil imported more slaves from Africa than any other in order to work the sugar industry and was also the last country in the Americas and Europe to abolish slavery in 1888. Policies taken by the Government in either the United States or Brazil provide and contribute to the “Quality
That being said the United States declaration of independence clearly gives those who abide it inalienable rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”, but blacks? At the time these rights were ironically not in regard to them as slavery was in full force. In a letter from Fredrick Douglas to Abraham Lincoln he describes the sad irony in such claims and a country that allows for such dehumanizing activities to legally take place, At this point in time, blacks in either Brazil or the United States had no political opinion. Up until emancipation policies taken in 1864 by the United States and in 1888 by Brazil, blacks were viewed as property and since then have not been given the resources, either through education, health, and government programs to “bounce back” from the institution that was slavery. On the other hand the ruling majority, which in both instances is white, are part of a system that clearly is positive towards their interest as the factors described are in their
13.3% of Afro Brazilians and in the United States 1.2% vs. 9.4%. ( NAAL) Being illiterate is detrimental to the chances of obtaining a job with opportunities to aspire. Why is there a higher number of illiterate blacks in both instances? The countries educational institutions and the policies taken towards them by their government do not institute proper education systems that foster a better future. According to Birdsall, “ Because Brazil adopted an inward looking development strategy, the demand for educated labor was not as high as might had been has Brazil’s economy been more oriented towards exports”(Birdsall, 1996). He is referring to import substitution industrialization, engaged in by the Government in order to facilitate growth like the United States. Here the economic state in Brazil caused the policy makers to perpetuate a poor education system while in the United States economy was already manufacturing products instead of exporting primary products. The reason behind the educational problem in Brazil is as explained, put on the economy, on the other hand the United States is doing as the colonist did, and that is seeking a cheap source of labor. Today a cheap labor source is acquired through different means, that is, Segregation. Segregation can be defined as the separation of students of the basis of their race to assure an “inexpensive source of labor” (Spring 43).