The Race to Freedom: Annual Slave Race Coming up

Each year about 50 000 slaves are traded back and forth in the slave trade and about 10 000 of those slaves escape. Each year we have a huge race to provide the other 40 000 slaves a chance. Each slave is encouraged to join, (they might be scolded or beat if they do not escape.) *The Tenochtitlan Times is not responsible for any limb loss, starvation or being offered as human sacrifice.* The race is to the emperor's temple from the central plaza, and then only the slave's master's son can chase him. In our society, being a slave is not very bad though- it is better than some other things that can happen if you do bad things. But being bad is not the only way to become a slave, you can also simply be paying back a debt, after you escape you can set up a business and make lots of cocoa beans. You can teach your child about your business and warn him from doing bad things by telling him your slave stories. Aren't you glad that children are not born as slaves? Can you imagine the cruelty a society must have to make children bear the burden of their parent's mistakes? What a terrible society we would be if we did that, but no worries, Montezuma would never let that happen. Now, let's go talk to some people:

A slave working off his debt talking about his master who is a lawmaker:

"I can barely remember my life before being a slave. I was a young man who had big dreams, however misfortune followed me everywhere I went. I found myself trying to set up several businesses but to no avail, and one day I found that I was out of cocoa beans. I went to several friends asking for some to buy food, but sooner or later I had to pay them back. So, I sold myself into slavery. I really hope that this is my chance to earn my freedom. I mean, being a slave isn't as bad as some things could be, at least I get food and can marry whoever I want. But it is still being under someone, they always control me. And since my master is a lawmaker he always reminds me of the laws that I could break if I attempt to do something. It gets annoying sometimes. I pray every day. I just want to be free."

A slave who was made a slave because he was bad:

“**** SLAVERY **** **** ****** **** FREEDOM **** JUSTICE **** PEACE ****”

A master of a 10 slaves:

“My slaves are the laziest slaves ever! And I can't get rid of them, I tried to sell them but no one would buy them. I tried to sacrifice them too, but you can only sacrifice a slave if he has been sold 3 times before. I really hope my slaves end up getting to the temple, if they aren't too lazy to run. I pray every day for them to be free. And since there are laws protecting slaves from being hit too hard, all I can do is twist their ears, if I cut off any of their limbs, they would just cry and become even lazier. There is even a god protecting slaves, so if I beat them too hard I would get punished too. Please help me! If you want these slaves, and you can for only 10 cocoa beans, please come around to the house with the blue staircase right around the corner from the central plaza. I will do whatever I can to get rid of them, I might even pay you!"

So join us at the annual slave race next Sun-Day and cheer those slaves on. You might even win a slave if you cheer the loudest.

*Note that these numbers are not correct. There is no recorded number of slaves. They also did not have any annual slave races. This is just a made up story.*

#slaverace