Introduction
People give different meanings to the word “slavery”. There are many forms of slavery with different rules. When people speak of slavery, they usually refer to chattel slavery. This was the form of slavery used in the USA and in the Cape Colony. In 1910, the Cape Colony became part of the Union of South Africa.
This website will focus on slavery as practised in the Cape Colony between 1658 and 1834.
Chattel slaves were captured and enslaved in faraway countries and transported over long distances. They were owned and could be sold or transferred to other owners without their permission and without receiving any compensation