Fort Zoutman /Toren Willem III
Santa Cruz ASU Sports Hall Site
Introduction: Breaking the Silence, the Case of Aruba
Slavery is not a very popular topic on Aruba, and slavery on Aruba does not quite fit in the general picture of slavery as imagined in the rest of the Caribbean region. African slavery on Aruba lasted not more than three or four generations, roughly from 1800 to 1863. Slavery on the island differed from slavery elsewhere in the region, not only in the time span, but also in magnitude and harshness. Race relations on 19th century Aruba were not determined by a plantation economy and subsequently by slavery. As will be explained in this report, Aruban slavery was and is not associated with large plantations and an economically, culturally and racially suppressed African-Caribbean population segment. Slavery is inhuman and can never be justified, but degrees of inhumanity can be discerned. Aruba’s slavery and emancipation compares favorably against slavery elsewhere in the Caribbean. That is, when it is studied profoundly and understood in proper proportions.
