Transatlantic Slave Trade

and
Child Soldiers
By Tiana Ford
 Sources
Source 1:

“They work as porters, messengers,

cooks, informants, spies, and as Abstract from “Modern Slavery” written
combatants; the availability of light, by Kevin Bales, Zoe Trodd and Alex Kent
small firearms has made it easier for Williamson.
small children, some as young as seven
or eight, to engage in combat…. Many
join to escape domestic violence, abuse
or poverty and some responded to
political propaganda. Rarely is there
genuine voluntary recruitment….
Attempt to leave is punished with
beatings, threats of retaliation against
the child’s family, or threats of death….
Africa has the highest rates of children
entering armed groups through force or
abduction, followed by Asia, the
Americas, then Europe.”

Source 2: Abstract from “Modern Slavery” written

by Kevin Bales, Zoe Trodd and Alex Kent
“Girls are also used as cooks and Williamson.
porters and to provide sexual services
within the armed group…. Women and
children are then vulnerable to
trafficking for sexual exploitation.”

Source 3:

Children are a cheap and plentiful

resource for military commanders in
need of a steady troop supply to war Abstract from the news article “Social
zones. Their underdeveloped ability to Issues: Child Soldiers”
assess danger means they are often
willing to take risks and difficult
assignments that adults or older
teenagers will refuse.
Source 4:

Poster from the website

“childsoldierinternational.wordpress.com/
2015/05/15/stop-children-soldiers/”

Source 5:

Letter from the book “The Slave Trade”

Source 6:

Letter from the book “The Slave Trade”

Source 7:

Flyer from the book “The Slave Trade”

Source 8:

Official document written by Abraham

Lincoln from the book “The Slave Trade”

Annotations
Source 1- Bales, Kevin, et al. Modern Slavery: the Secret World of 27
Million People. Oneworld, 2009.

“They work as porters,
messengers, cooks,
informants, spies, and as
combatants; the
availability of light, small
firearms has made it easier
for small children, some as
young as seven or eight, to
engage in combat…. Many
join to escape domestic
violence, abuse or poverty
and some responded to
political propaganda.
Rarely is there genuine
voluntary recruitment….
Attempt to leave is
punished with beatings,
threats of retaliation
against the child’s family,
or threats of death…. Africa
has the highest rates of
children entering armed
groups through force or
abduction, followed by
Asia, the Americas, then
Europe.”
Porters: The porters were forced to carry
heavy loads of ammunition, food and
supplies for the army without adequate
food, shelter and access to medical care, as
well as clean up after the group.
Combatants: All members of the armed
forces conflict are combatants, except
medical and religious personnel.
Light, small firearms: Indication that
firearms are given to all members of the
force.
Easier for small children….Young as
seven or eight: It doesn’t matter what
age you are as long as you can hold a
gun you can fight.
Escape domestic violence, abuse or
poverty: It is a way for the children to
run away from their homes and live a
‘better’ life or become a part of a life that
they thought was better than their
current situation.
Attempts: There obviously haven’t been
many who have successfully
Beatings, threats of retaliation…child’s
family, threats of death: Children that
tried to escape from the army normally
ended up in situations where they have
been both verbally and physically
abused.
Highest rates: There are high rates of
children being forced into the army that
is filled of children aged 7-18 years of age.
Through force…abduction: The children
are either forced into the army or they
are abducted from their family home
and placed into the army by the
government.
Africa, Asia, the Americas, then Europe:
Places where there are high rates of child
soldiers being enlisted into the army.
Reliability: This source is reliable in the
fact that it is written from an outside
perspective, but it has mostly come from
the testimonies of people who are living
it.
Usefulness: It is useful in the fact that it
has factual information and describes
how and why child soldiers exists.
Nature of source: Primary source
Content: The source was written in
America and is factual about what is
happening to young children around the
world.
Audience: The audience is mainly based
at adults, but it can involve young
adults.
Motive: The motive is to allow for people
around the world to be aware of what
child soldiers are and how their lives
have been effect.
Perspective: The perspective is from
people outside the issue looking in.
Origin: The origin of the source is
primarily from America, but discusses
the child soldiers from Africa, Asia and
Europe as well as America itself.
 Source 2- Edward George Codrington, Letter to the Master.
Cotton N Work Estate Sep 6th
My Dear Master, I have taken the liberty of addressing you
on a most particular favour, that is asking your permission to
allow me the privilege of purchasing myself and I hope this
may not be an offence to you if so I will be extremely sorry
my dear master this address is with a sincere regard toward
you welfare as well as myself I shiver at the attempt of
asking the favour from knowing that you have a family
which must inherit us hereafter but I trust in your kindness
with god willing that this letter should reach you and also
meeting you in good health and my young master and the
other part of the family my dear master I do not ask this
favour for any other purpose than for the benefit of myself
nor shall I shrink from the profession that I now hold as a
farrier it is never my intention if I was three times free to
give up that name of CBC therefore I will if you will be kind
enough to grant me this favour bind myself down to serve
you in the farrier line I have not waited on Mr. Jarritt who is
our present attorney who I know would be willing to lead
me through any thing that is legal but it was impossible for
me to do so when I knew his mind must be sick from the
abusive treatment that he has received from a few of Betty’s
hope and the garden’s negroes in the behalf of you.
I remain my dear master your most humble and obedient
servant
Edward George Codrington
CBC: Unable to find a definition.
Farrier: A blacksmith that shoes horses.
Farrier Line: Same as above.
Betty’s Hope: Sugar cane plantation- full of
African slaves.
Cotton N Work Estate: Place the African
slave worked when in America. Most likely a
cotton plantation.
Sep 9th: date the letter was written.
Dear Master: Shows that the owner of the
slave has more power over the slave and that
the slave is trying to soften up the master in
order for him to be released.
Asking your permission: Being obedient.
Asking for permission to be free.
Privilege of purchasing myself: The slave is
trying to purchase himself in order to live his
own life without having someone controlling
his own life.
Sincere regard… Welfare: Once again the
slave is trying to soften up his master in
order to be released.
I shiver: Indicating that he is scared that he
will be kept against his will and forced to
work.
Family which will inherit us: Shows that they
are more of an object in the master’s eyes.
Having to be dehumanised (to deprive
someone of human qualities).
Meeting you in good health: Hoping that the
master will have good health once he leaves.
Young master: refers to the master’s son.
Other part of the family refers to the women
of the household, such as wife and/or
daughters.
Benefit of myself: The slave is getting himself
sorted in order to live a free life
Three times free to give up the name of CBC:
Giving up a name that meant that he was
indeed a slave.
Bind myself down…serve you in the farrier
line: He will commit to serving his master
later on in life if his horses ever need their
horses shoed.
Mind must be sick…abusive treatment: The
attorney is being abused by the slaves due to
the slaves being accused of committing a
crime.
Garden’s negroes: The slaves that did all of
the outdoors housework and farming.
Most humble and obedient servant:
Indicating that he is nothing more than a
servant/slave towards the master.

Mr. Jarritt: Attorney

Edward George Codrington: Slave

Reliability: This source is reliable in the fact

that it is written from an actual African
slave and talks about what actually
happened with the slaves that arrived in
America.
Usefulness: It is useful in the fact that it
shows dehumanising traits as well as shows
how an African slave could be free by
buying their freedom.
Nature of source: Primary source
Content: The source is talking about the
slave being set free.
Audience: The audience is mainly for the
master, but in today’s world it is for
historians and/or students studying TAST.
Motive: The motive is to allow for the
African slave to purchase his freedom from
his master.
Perspective: The perspective is from the
African slave.
Origin: The origin of the source is from
America and it is based primarily on a
cotton plantation.
 Essay Plan
Question: To what degree is the tenets of the Transatlantic Slave trade
recognised in the form of contemporary slavery.

To What Extent: To make a Judgement…

Thesis: Slavery is the legal or illegal act of a person added as another

addition of one’s wealth and property. The tenets of the Transatlantic Slave
Trade, such as dehumanisation, may be present within contemporary forms
of slavery such as Child soldiers.

Introduction:
 Thesis
 Purpose of the essay
o To make a judgement about how the tenets of the transatlantic
slave trade (TAST) is present in other forms of contemporary
slavery such as Child Soldiers.
 Introduce the body arguments of the essay
o Each paragraph will be about one tenet. The 1st paragraph is about
the organisation, 2nd dehumanisation, 3rd commodification and 4th
anti-slavery campaigns.

Body 1: Organisation
 Quick overview to state what the paragraph is about.
o The organisation of slavery is the act of individuals or groups
coming together in order to coordinate the action of forcing
people to be involved in a range of exploitative practices, such
as TAST and Child Soldiers.
 Source 1 and 5 (Evidence)
o The evidence will include source 1 (abstract from…. About how the
soldiers are obtained) and source 5 (a letter from one of the African
chiefs about how they organised slavery)
 Explain the evidence and how they are connected
o The paragraph is about how both the transatlantic slave trade and
child soldiers have to organise their form of slavery in a similar
way. The transatlantic through trading and the child soldiers
through political propaganda and ‘a better life.’
 Link to thesis
o The two different forms of slavery both include a specific way of
organisation causing contemporary forms of slavery, such as Child
soldiers, to have that of the same tenet as the transatlantic slave
trade.
Body 2: Dehumanisation
 Quick Overview
o The dehumanisation of a person is the deed of renouncing one’s
human qualities. This tenet occurs predominantly in TAST, but
it also plays a major part of the Child Soldiers.
 Source 2 and 6
o Source 2 (abstract from ….) which Is about how girls are
dehumanised. Source 6 (letter to master) the language that they use
in their letter and how they dehumanise themselves.
 Explain
o This paragraph explains how both forms of slavery are
dehumanising to all slaves that are involved. TAST through their
use of language and how they were to be inherited like an object.
The child soldiers through how the girls are used for sexual services
as well as be forced to fight.
 Link
o Even though both forms of slavery have a different way of the
slaves being dehumanised, it essentially causes the tenet
(dehumanisation) of the TAST to be seen within the Child Soldiers
army.

Body 3: Commodification
 Quick Overview
o Commodification is the process of one becoming a materialistic
value in another man’s eyes. This was a major part of TAST and
continues on today in the Child Soldiers.
 Source 3 and 7
o Source 3 (The abstract from world vison that shows how the
children have become a commodity) and source 7 (a flyer that
shows what slaves were being sold and has writing on it that was
put there by a buyer)
 Explain
o This paragraph shows how commodification is used in both TAST
and child soldiers. TAST through how they sold/auctioned off the
African slaves and the child soldiers through how cheap and
replaceable they were within the army.
 Link
o In both forms of slavery, the slaves are being bought and sold for
cheap prices and because they are replaceable, causing
Commodification to play a major part as a tenet in TAST as well as
with the Child Soldiers.

Body 4: Anti-slavery campaigns

  Quick Overview
o Anti-slavery is when an organisation and/or individual are
opposed to the ideals of the practice of slavery. Anti-slavery
movements are better known with the Child Soldiers, but they
play a significant role with the abolishment of slavery involved
with TAST.
 Source 4 and 8
o Source 4 (poster trying to persuade people from around the world
to help stop child soldiers) and Source 8 (the ...from Abraham
Lincoln that allowed for TAST slavery to stop in America)
 Explain
o This paragraph allows for the discussion of anti-slavery campaigns.
TAST had the campaign from Abraham Lincoln who eventually
made a decree that slavery must end. The child soldiers have many
individuals and organisations, such as , that helps try to save
children that are to be placed in armies at young ages.
 Link
o Anti-slavery movements are a main tenet in TAST and in many
other contemporary forms of slavery, especially the Child soldiers.
This tenet has allowed for many slaves to be freed from their
captured life.

Conclusion:
 Reinforce purpose of essay
o It was through the tenets of TAST that other forms of slavery, such
as Child Soldiers, had begun to arise in the modern world.
 Reference thesis
o This led to the legal and illegal act of a person adding to their
addition of one’s wealth and property.
 Outline how body answers question
o Allowing for the different tenets of TAST to be present in the form
of Child soldiers.
 Essay
Slavery is the legal or illegal act of a person added as another addition of
one’s wealth and property. The tenets of the Transatlantic Slave Trade
(TAST), such as dehumanisation, are present within most contemporary
forms of slavery, one being Child Soldiers. The main four tenets
(organisation, dehumanisation, commodification and anti-slavery
campaigns) of the Transatlantic Slave Trade are present within the
contemporary form and allows for a connection between the two types of
slavery to appear.

The organisation of slavery is the act of individuals or groups coming

together in order to coordinate the action of forcing people to be involved in
a range of exploitative practices, which is seen in both the Transatlantic
slave trade and Child Soldiers. Through the use of source one, it can be seen
that most of the children that are in the middle eastern, as well as
surrounding countries, are forced into the army through brutality, a chance
for a new life and political propaganda. It is through these forms of
enlistment that armies have grown largely in population. There is a similar
form of organisation in the Transatlantic slave trade. As seen in source five,
the African chief’s letter, the Africans were first originally prisoners in
enemy tribes and were traded for goods, such as weapons and alcohol. The
trade of the Africans for the goods is commonly known as the Triangle of
Trade. Within the tribes, the Chiefs would write a letter that would give an
estimated number of how many slaves that they had captured. From this the
Americans and/or Europeans would have their ships ready to board as soon
as they reached the African shores. The two forms of slavery, the
Transatlantic slave trade and Child soldiers, both include a specific way of
how they were and, in some cases, still are organised. This causes the
contemporary form of slavery (child soldiers) to possess the same tenet as the
transatlantic slave trade.

The dehumanisation of a person is the deed of renouncing one’s human

qualities. This tenet occurs predominantly in the Transatlantic slave trade,
but it also plays a major part of the Child Soldiers. In source two, the girls of
the armies are not only given a gun and are forced to fight in the war, but
they are also used for sexual services for the men. Sometimes it was
consensual, but other times it was normally against the girl’s will. It is
because of these sexual exploits that some of the girls are then sold into
prostitution, many never to be seen by again by their families. It is from
these exploits that the girls are losing their human qualities, such as their
dignity. The very same exploits occurred in Transatlantic slave trade with
the women and girls. As seen in source six, the African slaves were to pay
for their freedom. This along with the master’s “family will inherit us.”
Shows that the slaves were dehumanised through how they, as slaves, saw
themselves as well as how their masters saw them. This perception allowed
for the slaves to become dehumanised to the level where they were seen
below most animals, such as dogs. Even though both forms of slavery have a
different way of the slaves being dehumanised, it essentially causes the tenet
of the Transatlantic slave trade to be seen within the Child Soldiers army.

Commodification is the process of one becoming a materialistic value in

another man’s eyes. This was a major part of the Transatlantic slave trade
and continues on today in the Child Soldiers. In source three, it is seen that
the children were being used in the armies due to them being able to be
easily obtained from families. They were also affordable and replaceable.
This was due to the reason that the children were more willing to take risks
and go on difficult assignments that adults and teenagers generally refused
to do. This then allowed for the Child soldiers to become a commodity in the
modern world, because of their cheap and replaceable status in the armies.
It is through the use of source seven that it can be seen that the African
slaves were sold or auctioned off. Written across source were side notes
about the Africans that included details that commented on the slaves
physical conditions and qualities. These slaves were to be sold off, to the
buyer who wrote the notes onto the flyer. The African slaves or soon to be
slaves were usually listed on flyers or in newspapers in order to let the
Americans know when and where the auction was to be held, the slaves
names, how old the slaves were and/or what skills they possessed. All these
contributions made for the Africans to become a commodity in the
Transatlantic slave trade. In both forms of slavery, the slaves are being
bought and/or sold for cheap prices, because they are replaceable. This
caused Commodification to play a major part as a tenet in the Transatlantic
slave trade as well as with the Child Soldiers

Anti-slavery is when an organisation and/or individual are opposed to the

ideals of the practice of slavery. Anti-slavery movements are better known
with the Child Soldiers, but they do play a significant role with the
abolishment of slavery that was involved with the Transatlantic slave trade.
Through the use of source four it indicates that organisations, such as
Amnesty International, are working towards abolishing child slavery
throughout middle eastern countries and Africa, where the most child
soldiers are found. The poster makes adults, especially mothers, think about
how they would feel if that were their own child. This allows for adults to
then connect with what is happening to the parents of the child soldiers.
Therefore causing more people to join the organisation in order to help stop
the recruitment of child soldiers. The Transatlantic slave trade had a similar
anti-slavery movement occur. But, unlike the child soldiers, the
Transatlantic slave trade had the president of that time, Abraham Lincoln,
create an emancipation which stated that all slavery in America was to be
abolished. This emancipation document is seen in source eight and allows for
the majority of the national community to stand behind their leader of that
time and support his decisions. Although the emancipation wasn’t the
official abolishment, it was the beginning of the end of slavery in America.
The anti-slavery movements are a main tenet in the Transatlantic slave
trade and in many other contemporary forms of slavery, especially the
Child soldiers. This tenet has allowed for many slaves to be freed from their
captured life.

It was through the tenets of the Transatlantic slave trade that other forms
of slavery, such as Child Soldiers, had begun to arise in the modern world.
These contemporary forms of slavery were based upon the Transatlantic
slave trade and older acts of slavery. This led to the legal and illegal act of a
person adding to their addition of one’s wealth and property, which allowed
for a person to gain more power in a social setting. This caused for the
different tenets of the Transatlantic slave trade to be present in the form of
Child soldiers.
 Reflection
Throughout the assignment, I’ve come to realise that there are many tenets
that occur in slavery and that each main tenet, such as the organisation, the
dehumanisation of people, the commodification and the many anti-slavery
campaigns that have been created by all walks of people. As I was
completing the assignment I came to realise that my chosen contemporary
form, child soldiers, was so much worse than I originally thought it would be.
Learning about what happened to those children was heartbreaking and
emotional. When I was writing my essay plan I came to realise that writing
about my contemporary form first helped me to then write about the
transatlantic slave trade. How I structured by essay really worked for me
and having the essay plan made it a lot easier to write my final essay. The
thing that didn’t work to well for me was the vast amount of the child
soldier’s sources to choose from. I say this because there were so many
sources that would’ve worked well, but they didn’t all say the same thing.
Some only talked about the males that were enlisted into the army and not
the females. I think next time I’m going to elaborate a little more on how the
two forms of slavery contrast one another instead of how they intertwine
and how they’re different. I say this because I believe it would give a
stronger argument about the case.
 Bibliography
 Bales, Kevin, et al. Modern Slavery: The Secret World of 27 Million

People. Oneworld, 2009.

 “Social Issues: Child Soldiers.” Vision, www.vision.org/social-issues-

child-soldiers-1049.

 Walvin, James. The Slave Trade. Thames & Hudson, 2011.

 Aznperez, ~. “Stop Child Soldiers.” Childsoldierinternational, 26 May

2015, childsoldierinternational.wordpress.com/2015/05/15/stop-

children-soldiers/.