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Slavery In Colonial Massachusetts, Thomas A. Malloy Iii

Masters Theses

1. Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to trace the history of slavery in colonial Massachusetts. Massachusetts was by no means an originator of this institution, for the practice of slavery predates written history. Its origins probably stem from wars of conquest in which captives were used for sacrificial purposes, but as prehistoric man adopted a settled way of life, he found it practical to spare his captives' lives and enslave them. The conqueror's justification for enslavement of his captives was that he had spared their lives, and thus they were at his disposal. In a sense, one could …