Related commentaries – Slavery

Slavery Was Common in The Early Church – Colossians 3:22 – 3:25

Slaves were treated better in South America

Slavery existed in South America even before North America, but there was significant differences. In North America slaves lived at a bare subsistence level; the enslaved were mere chattels, bought and sold as such. In South America a slave was treated as a person, not an object. Marriage was a sacred rite and the Latin American slave could be a husband and a father, merchant, or artisan, and could even become a priest or military officer. Never did his master have the power of life and death over him. Finally, there were no color barriers; once freed, a black slave was accepted on equal terms with white freemen. (Herman D. Hover - Encyclopedia of Illustrations #11724)