The exploitation of enslaved labor was central to the capitalist model from "summary" of Capitalism & Slavery by Eric Eustace Williams
The foundation of the capitalist system rests upon the exploitation of enslaved labor. This was not a mere coincidence, but rather a deliberate choice made by those who sought to maximize profits at any cost. The rise of capitalism in the Western world was intimately tied to the brutal enslavement of millions of African people. The transatlantic slave trade provided the cheap labor necessary to fuel the burgeoning capitalist economies of Europe and the Americas. Plantation owners in the colonies amassed vast fortunes through the forced labor of enslaved Africans. These enslaved individuals were treated as mere commodities, bought and sold like any other goods. Their lives were expendable, their bodies worked to the point of exhaustion in order to extract the maximum amount of profit for their owners. The capitalist model thrived on this system of exploitation, with the wealth generated from enslaved labor flowing back to enrich the coffers of the ruling class. The profitability of slavery was a key factor in the expansion of the capitalist system. The enormous profits generated from the labor of enslaved people fueled economic growth and development, allowing capitalists to accumulate wealth on an unprecedented scale. The system was inherently exploitative, with enslaved individuals bearing the brunt of the harsh conditions and brutal treatment inflicted upon them by their owners. The capitalist model was built upon the backs of enslaved laborers, whose suffering and exploitation were essential to the functioning of the system. Without the forced labor of enslaved Africans, the capitalist economies of the Western world would not have been able to thrive as they did. The wealth and power amassed by the ruling elite were directly tied to the exploitation of enslaved people, whose labor provided the foundation upon which the capitalist system was built.
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