Capitalism In The 1800's

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Capitalism today is instilled in our everyday values, work ethics and achievements. Ownership and competition is what keeps capitalism alive today, a thriving model most countries and individuals have adapted and morphed into. Capitalism from the late 1700s to the early 1900s has drastic changes from bartering and trading to using cash capital to obtain a sense of ownership. Institutionalizing aboriginals, molding them ready for the capitalistic society that is best defined as a cog in a huge machine. Maximizing profits and undermining workers is a common trait that third-world countries utilize and a birth of “New-age” or modern slavery. Sovereign countries especially have changed their modes of production by allowing individuals to work legally …show more content…
During the institutionalization of members of aboriginal groups, some were forced to learn English and skills that schools taught to maintain an order of capitalism. Why do I say this? Schooling criteria has changed throughout the 1700s to now, but what has not changed is that school prepares student’s roles in our capitalist society. During the forced institutionalization of Aboriginal students, many were segregated and told not to speak their native tongue or practice any of their culture. Many aboriginals were forced to adapt to the ideals of the modes of production that attribute to capitalism. In many ways, this was a form of slavery; a restriction of freedom. “Slavery built the modern United States.” (Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism 2015) Without slaves in the United states especially in the late 1700s, a lot of things would not have been prevalent today without …show more content…
Slavery is defined as “work done in harsh conditions for low pay”. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/slavery 2011) In most third-world countries, slavery is still relevant and prominent. Individuals that need money to support their family, usually have no choice but to work in factories that have harsh working conditions, long hours and at times very low pay. With individuals having more and more of a capitalistic way of thinking, many owners cut production costs, and wages to a minimum while keeping most of the revenue for themselves. An article that talked about new-age slavery, and how “Young men and boys are trafficked between countries in West Africa and used as forced labour on plantations producing goods for export such as cotton and cocoa.” (Modern slavery, global capitalism & deproletarianisation in West Africa 2006) Modern day slavery occurs more often because there are now divides between classes, and some families are willing to work for next to nothing to support themselves and the others around them. Slavery in the late 1700s was about “owning” a certain individual, and most of the money earned would not be a fair amount and at times was not present at all. The article talks about how in the twentieth century, “new-age” slavery has become more of a dominant thing. Trafficking and prostitution are ways that individuals that have some sort of power to exploit individuals.