I had not known of that. And there is sometimes a very fine line between indentured servitude and slavery.
Canada does have a history of indentured servitude, primarily of Aboriginal peoples and Scottish victims of the Highland clearances, but not as widespread and not as well integrated into the economic system. And there was a period of time where slavery was legal in Canada (up until the 1790) but it was not institutionalised and the numbers were very few - even now, only 2.5% of Canadians identify themselves as black, and most are or are descended from people who arrived in Canada after slavery was abolished, primarily from Caribbean and African Commonwealth countries.
I should perhaps note that I can't compare the condition of being white and having white ancestors who were indentured servants forcibly removed from their homeland and shipped across the ocean on ships where many of them died (which is part of my family history) with the condition of being a person of colour and having ancestors, also persons of colour, who were indentured servants forcibly removed from their homeland and shipped across the ocean on ships where many of them died, because I have white privilege no matter what happened to my ancestors, and a person of colour does not.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2009-02-04 02:07 am (UTC)Canada does have a history of indentured servitude, primarily of Aboriginal peoples and Scottish victims of the Highland clearances, but not as widespread and not as well integrated into the economic system. And there was a period of time where slavery was legal in Canada (up until the 1790) but it was not institutionalised and the numbers were very few - even now, only 2.5% of Canadians identify themselves as black, and most are or are descended from people who arrived in Canada after slavery was abolished, primarily from Caribbean and African Commonwealth countries.
I should perhaps note that I can't compare the condition of being white and having white ancestors who were indentured servants forcibly removed from their homeland and shipped across the ocean on ships where many of them died (which is part of my family history) with the condition of being a person of colour and having ancestors, also persons of colour, who were indentured servants forcibly removed from their homeland and shipped across the ocean on ships where many of them died, because I have white privilege no matter what happened to my ancestors, and a person of colour does not.