Discuss the history of gallery slavery from its first uses to its end as well as the rationale behind it.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Galley slavery, was used sparingly by the ancient Greeks and Romans, but more regularly in the late Middle Ages in Europe and England, and stayed in use until roughly the 1700s. Under Elizabeth I, in 1602, a sentence to galley servitude was decreed as an alternative to the death sentence (Orland, 1975). Pope Pius VI (who was pope from 1775–1799) also reportedly employed it (Johnston, 2009, p. 12S). Galley slavery was used as a sentence for crimes or as a means of removing the poor from the streets. It also served the twin purpose of providing the requisite labor—rowing—needed to propel ships for seafaring nations interested in engagement in trade and warfare. For instance, these galley slaves were reportedly used by Columbus (Johnston, 2009). The “slaves” were required to row the boat until they collapsed from exhaustion, hunger, or disease; often they sat in their own excrement (Welch, 2004). Under Pope Pius, galley slaves were entitled to bread each day, and their sentences ranged from 3 years to life (Johnston, 2009). Although we do not have detailed records of how such a sentence was carried out, and we can be sure that its implementation varied to some degree from vessel to vessel, the reports that do exist indicate that galley slavery was essentially a sentence to death. Galley slavery ended when the labor was no longer needed on ships because of the technological development of sails.