PART I.

The History of Slavery.

CHAP.  I. Introduction.—­Division of slavery into voluntary and involuntary.—­The latter the subject of the present work.—­Chap.  II.  The first class of involuntary slaves among the ancients, from war.—­Conjecture concerning their antiquity.—­Chap.  III.  The second class from piracy.—­Short history of piracy.—­The dance carpoea.—­Considerations from hence on the former topick.—­Three orders of involuntary slaves among the ancients.—­Chap.  IV.  Their personal treatment.—­Exception in AEgypt.—­Exception at Athens.—­Chap.  V. The causes of such treatment among the ancients in general.—­Additional causes among the Greeks and Romans.—­A refutation of their principles.—­Remarks on the writings of AEsop.—­Chap.  VI.  The ancient slave-trade.—­Its antiquity.—­AEgypt the first market recorded for this species of traffick.—­Cyprus the second.—­The agreement of the writings of Moses and Homer on the subject.—­The universal prevalence of the trade.—­Chap.  VII.  The decline of this commerce and slavery in Europe.—­The causes of their decline.—­Chap.  VIII.  Their revival in Africa.—­Short history of their revival.—­Five classes of involuntary slaves among the moderns.—­Cruel instance of the Dutch colonists at the Cape.

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PART II.

The African Commerce or Slave-Trade.

CHAP.  I. The history of mankind from their first situation to a state of government.—­Chap.  II.  An account of the first governments.—­Chap.  III.  Liberty a natural right.—­That of government adventitious.—­Government, its nature.—­Its end.—­Chap.  IV.  Mankind cannot be considered as property.—­An objection answered.—­Chap.  V. Division of the commerce into two parts, as it relates to those who sell, and those who purchase the human species into slavery.—­The right of the sellers examined with respect to the two orders of African slaves, “of those who are publickly seized by virtue of the authority of their prince, and of those, who are kidnapped by individuals.”—­Chap.  VI.  Their right with respect to convicts.—­From the proportion of the punishment to the offence.—­From its object and end.—­Chap.  VII.  Their right with respect to prisoners of war.—­The jus captivitatis, or right of capture explained.—­Its injustice.—­Farther explication of the right of capture, in answer to some supposed objections.—­Chap.  VIII.  Additional remarks on the two orders that were first mentioned.—­The number which they annually contain.—­A description of an African battle.—­Additional remarks on prisoners of war.—­On convicts.—­Chap.  IX.  The right of the purchasers examined.—­Conclusion.

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PART III.

The Slavery of the Africans in the European
Colonies.