Since America was still a passing thought in Europe, Sir Thomas More was not influenced by the evil American institution of enslavement.
However, he was influenced by Roman form of slavery. Because he was an educated man, we must have studied ancient history. Furthermore, his mentioning of the Romans as being one of the shipwrecked groups in Utopia offers textual evidence of his knowledge.
While Latin (Rome) was the lingua franca of the day, few people knew Greek. Thomas More's use of Greek names (Hythloday) tells us he was one these few people and leads me to believe that he knew about Greek history. For the purpose of this short project, we can consider the two civilization's slavery the same.
Both Roman and Greek slaves were in a wide range of jobs throughout the ancient world. Some dug roads of the Roman Empire while some assisted the Greek nobility. Both civilizations depended heavily on the slave class. It was reported that as much as half of Athen's population were slaves. You could become a slave by being captured in a battle, sold by your parents :-(, sold yourself into slavery on account of your lack of financial resources.
For now, try to remember how the slaves were used, who they were, and etc. Their influence on Sir Thomas More will be contrasted when we go through Utopia.
Just as Shakespeare (a bit later) knew about the Egyptians, Sir Thomas More had access to such ancient historical knowledge.
The text also mentions that on Egyptians were shipwrecked on Utopia along with the Romans.
I find that there is a link between the communal efforts of ancient Egyptians (mandatory service to build the pyramids) and the Utopians (mandatory service on farms).
Remember that feudalism was the form of governance in which everything was ranked. Because everything had a rank, there was little or no room for shifting between jobs. If you were born a serf working the land, that was probably what you were stuck doing for the rest of your life.
Due to the Black Plague and Hundred Years' War, the non-centralized feudalism fell. However, this victory over tyranny was short-lived.
That's right. Just as serfs started to own their land and started to make England a self-sustaining country, the Enclosure Movement began. Rich nobles forced farmers off the land. Instead of crops, acres and acres were replaced with sheep which produced the non-feeding wool. Sir Thomas More lived in times where these homeless farmers had nothing to eat.
Though England never had an substantial offical slavery during and before the life of Sir Thomas More, serfdom and the homeless "enclosed" farmer could be considered slaves.
"The Utopians enslave prisoners of war only if they are captured in wars fought by the Utopians themselves."
As the Utopians do not like to fight in wars all that often, I am under the impression they do not fight wars as a way to recruit slaves. Furthermore, due to the Utopians' relative pacifism, I would guess that only those who directly attack Utopia are enslaved. This means prisoners captured by mercenaries would not become enslaved.
Apart from the land gained, ancient civilizations use wars as a way to enslave weaker nations into working for them.
"The children of slaves are not automatically enslaved..."
Sir Thomas More must have read about how the families were ripped apart by slavery and bondage to other humans. Being the family man, he must have felt sorry for them.
"...nor are nay men who are enslaved in a foreign country."
I would say this refers to people taken over by Utopians in their outer colonies. If a man was a slave in a city that is now under Utopian rule, he would not have to resume his slave status.
"Most of their slaves are either their own former citizens, enslaved for some heinous offense..."
Although you could be enslaved for any heinous offense, the text makes reference to adultry as one such "heinous offense" punishable for slavery.
"...or else men of other nations who were condemned to death in their own land."
Although previous class discussions suggested the Utopians might be hypocritical in their warfare, we see the opposite here. They care about life, even the life of a murderer.
"Both kinds of slaves are kept constantly at work, and are always fettered."
Isn't it cruel to work these people? They know they will not be freed.
"The Utopians deal with their own people more harshly than with others, feeling that their crimes are worse and deserve stricter punishment because, as it is argued, they had an excellent education and the best of moral training, yet still couldn't be restrained from wrongdoing.
Is it fair for an adulterer to be treated worse than a murderer from another country who sought "asylum" in Utopia?
"A third class of slaves consists of hardworking penniless drudges from other nation who voluntarily choose to become slaves in Utopia."
These people can be seen as the indentured servants of Utopia. They aren't punished, they simply work.
"If one of them wants to leave, which seldom happens, no obstacles are put in his way, nor is he sent off emptyhanded."
The great hospitality in Utopia is obviously shown by this.
The Utopians do not need the labor of slaves to sustain themselves. Their own citizens work enough to sustain Utopia. This is contrasted with the ancient Greco-Roman world where slaves where the reason the citizens could spend so much time around art and politics.
They have slavery to show what happens to "bad" people. It is a deterrent for stepping out of line. In this sense, Utopia seems totalitarian.
"Such people are treated well, almost as well as citizens, except that they are given a little extra work, on account
If they are held as equals, why do they have to work a "little extra"? The Utopians don't need the extra work, so why work them more?
Sir Thomas More intends to say with his slaves section that it is better to be a slave in Utopia than to be a citizen of a country that takes away your land.
