What were the reasons for the small number of enslaved Africans in the Caribbean before 1600?

A few different instances resulted in African slaves being brought over to the New World, including the Caribbean, in the 1500s. Most of the events that resulted in slaves being brought to the Caribbean only brought a few slaves at a time.

The first record of African slaves in the Caribbean occurred during Diego Cólon's time as the governor of the Spanish empire in the Caribbean. Cólon believed that Native American slaves were not hard workers, therefore...

A few different instances resulted in African slaves being brought over to the New World, including the Caribbean, in the 1500s. Most of the events that resulted in slaves being brought to the Caribbean only brought a few slaves at a time.

The first record of African slaves in the Caribbean occurred during Diego Cólon's time as the governor of the Spanish empire in the Caribbean. Cólon believed that Native American slaves were not hard workers, therefore he started the process of petitioning for African slaves to be shipped there. King Ferdinand of Spain allowed for the shipping of 50 African slaves to be sent to the Caribbean in 1510.

Throughout the course of the rest of the century, slaves were sent to places like the West Indies and Jamaica, to work in tobacco and sugar fields, but the slave trade did not increase to large numbers before 1600 because several countries, including France and even Spain, fiercely debated the legality and ethics of slave trade.

What lesson does Huck learn in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain?

Huck learns many lessons throughout his journey on the Mississippi with Jim. The most important of these involve caring and moral responsibility. 

Huck is a child who has never had a chance to develop a real bond with another human being. His Pap is a drunk who doesn't care if Huck lives or dies. Huck only knows how to use and manipulate another—the lesson he learned from Pap—or how to evade responsibility, the lesson he...

Huck learns many lessons throughout his journey on the Mississippi with Jim. The most important of these involve caring and moral responsibility. 

Huck is a child who has never had a chance to develop a real bond with another human being. His Pap is a drunk who doesn't care if Huck lives or dies. Huck only knows how to use and manipulate another—the lesson he learned from Pap—or how to evade responsibility, the lesson he taught himself when trying to get away from the Widow Douglas and Miss Watson. Once Huck begins to spend every night with Jim, he falls back on his own habits at first and plays merciless tricks on Jim. When Jim scolds Huck for playing a trick on him, Huck begins to feel bad, realizing he has hurt another human being, even if Huck still sees the human being as "only" a slave. 

Jim gives Huck the nurturing and care he has never had, and the two become inseparable companions. Through the time they spend together, Huck learns what it's like to have companionship and even love. 

His twisted understanding of society's mores still tell him, however, that he is doing "wrong" to keep a slave from capture. It is only when Huck tears up the letter he has written to Miss Watson and emphatically says, "All right, I'll go to hell" that we see he has learned to defy the mores of a corrupt society, even if he naively believes this rebellion will send him to hell. He learns to listen to his true conscience, not the perverted mores of an unjust society. 

After emancipation, how did ex-slaves exercise their new freedoms, and how did white southerners attempt to limit them?

After the slaves were freed, they did many things with the new freedom they had received. Unfortunately, white southerners tried to limit these freedoms.

Once the slaves were freed after the Civil War ended, they pursued a variety of activities. Some former slaves returned to their birthplace, while others went to look for family members from whom they were separated. A number of freed slaves traveled, while others formally married. Finally, some former slaves were...

After the slaves were freed, they did many things with the new freedom they had received. Unfortunately, white southerners tried to limit these freedoms.

Once the slaves were freed after the Civil War ended, they pursued a variety of activities. Some former slaves returned to their birthplace, while others went to look for family members from whom they were separated. A number of freed slaves traveled, while others formally married. Finally, some former slaves were involved in building their own churches and schools. Some also became involved in politics and ran for political office.

White southerners weren’t pleased with these changes. After the Civil War ended, southern states passed the black codes. One example of a black code was that former slaves needed to prove they were employed. After Reconstruction ended, white southerners began to regain control of the state and the local governments. They passed laws that separated the races. Blacks and whites weren’t allowed to sit in the same train cars. They had separate bathrooms and separate drinking fountains. White southerners tried to prevent African-Americans from voting. Laws were passed requiring people to pass literacy tests and pay poll taxes in order to vote. People were exempt from these restrictions if their father or grandfather had voted before 1867. These grandfather clauses allowed whites to vote while denying the vote to many African-Americans because their fathers or grandfathers weren’t allowed to vote before 1867. Finally, hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan formed. They threatened, intimidated, harassed, and killed African-Americans.

While African-Americans gained some freedoms after the Civil War ended, white southerners worked hard to restrict those freedoms.

In what ways did Grandmother India, Danny from the 101st Airborne Division, or Link (a white student) help Melba survive her year at Central High...

Grandmother India helps Melba understand the significance of what she is doing to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. She tells Melba that "God's warriors don't cry" and that Melba is a soldier in the war for justice for African-American people. Her grandmother also tells Melba that she can't cry, even though she is often the victim of harassment and attacks, because God is beside her in her campaign for justice. Her grandmother...

Grandmother India helps Melba understand the significance of what she is doing to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. She tells Melba that "God's warriors don't cry" and that Melba is a soldier in the war for justice for African-American people. Her grandmother also tells Melba that she can't cry, even though she is often the victim of harassment and attacks, because God is beside her in her campaign for justice. Her grandmother gives her a sense of meaning during a difficult time and inspires her with her religious faith. Grandmother India also helps Melba realize her own self-worth, and when other students are belittling Melba, she remembers that her grandmother told her that God loves her.

Danny is a soldier with the 101st Airborne Division who is assigned to protect Melba in the halls of Central High School. He helps her when another student throws acid at her, and he saves her from permanent blindness by washing the acid out of her eyes. Though he is not supposed to get personally involved with Melba, he tells her to be brave, and his words inspire her. Finally, Link is a white student who is sympathetic to Melba. When a student is heading towards her, intent on harming her, Link gives Melba the keys to his car and tells her to drive away. Link continually lets Melba know what the segregationists have planned for her so that she can remain safe. Because he cares for her, Melba remains safe and realizes that not all the white students are opposed to her presence at Central High School.

Why was Lady Macbeth killed?

Most scholars believe that Lady Macbeth kills herself, as Malcolm's closing speech in Act 5, Scene 8 suggests this fact: "...his fiend-like queen, / Who, as 'tis thought, by self and violent hands / Took off her life" (69-71). Using this speech as their guide, most scholars hypothesize that Lady Macbeth was not killed by a person, but committed suicide. This idea logically follows from Lady Macbeth's increasingly maddened actions: as the play goes on,...

Most scholars believe that Lady Macbeth kills herself, as Malcolm's closing speech in Act 5, Scene 8 suggests this fact: "...his fiend-like queen, / Who, as 'tis thought, by self and violent hands / Took off her life" (69-71). Using this speech as their guide, most scholars hypothesize that Lady Macbeth was not killed by a person, but committed suicide. This idea logically follows from Lady Macbeth's increasingly maddened actions: as the play goes on, Shakespeare shows us a queen driven mad by her vile crimes. As such, it's possible to assume that, crazy with grief and guilt, Lady Macbeth commits suicide in the final scenes of the play. 

That said, Shakespeare loves to employ ambiguity in his dramatic work, and so it's fitting that a great deal of ambiguity surrounds the death of Lady Macbeth. She dies offstage, and so we don't know for sure exactly how she dies. Malcolm merely reports a very plausible rumor concerning her death, but he does not know the truth for sure. As such, it's theoretically possible (although not overtly supported within the text itself) that Lady Macbeth was killed, potentially by a member of the court who resented the queen's evil actions. Though it's much more likely that Malcolm's theory is correct, the ambiguous nature of Lady Macbeth's death allows for the possibility of foul play.  

What is the main idea of Silent Spring?

The main idea of Silent Spring, written by Rachel Carson, in 1962, was that pesticides were harming the environment and wildlife, particularly birds. She focused on the pesticide DDT, which was first made in 1874 but was used extensively during World War II as a way to control diseases such as typhus and malaria where troops were stationed. Carson presented research that pesticides can accumulate in animals' bodies through a process called bioaccumulation and...

The main idea of Silent Spring, written by Rachel Carson, in 1962, was that pesticides were harming the environment and wildlife, particularly birds. She focused on the pesticide DDT, which was first made in 1874 but was used extensively during World War II as a way to control diseases such as typhus and malaria where troops were stationed. Carson presented research that pesticides can accumulate in animals' bodies through a process called bioaccumulation and can cause cancers and other ill effects. She also presented research about the ways pesticides harm the environment and stated that overly relying on pesticides would be ineffective, as it would lead to the development of resistance on the part of the insects, resulting in even larger populations. Carson claimed that the industry that manufactured pesticides had tried to cover up the harmful effects of their products. Her book led to the birth of the modern environmental movement and a ban on DDT for use in agriculture. 

When Rainsford calls himself a beast at the end of the story, what does the description foreshadow in "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell?

When Rainsford calls himself a beast, it foreshadows him killing Zaroff. 

Foreshadowing is when the author hints at something that will happen later in the story.  When Rainsford first met General Zaroff, he considered his game of hunting human beings murder.  He could not believe Zaroff was for real at first, and then told him that there was no way he would participate as a hunter.  He had no idea he was going to be the game. 

Zaroff tells Rainsford that his idea about hunting people being murder is old-fashioned.

 “…I'll wager you'll forget your notions when you go hunting with me. You've a genuine new thrill in store for you, Mr. Rainsford."

"Thank you, I'm a hunter, not a murderer."

"Dear me," said the general, quite unruffled, "again that unpleasant word. But I think I can show you that your scruples are quite ill founded."

Rainsford has a difficult time accepting his role as prey.  He gets somewhat intimidated and discouraged when he learns that Zaroff is just playing with him, so he can extend the game. Rainsford gives it everything he has with evasion and traps, and makes no headway.  

He decides to change the rules of the game.  Zaroff has a large chateau, and Rainsford figures out how to swim to it.  Zaroff is excited and stunned.  From his point of view, Rainsford has been a worthy opponent, and now he has won the game.   

Rainsford has other ideas. 

Rainsford did not smile. "I am still a beast at bay," he said, in a low, hoarse voice. "Get ready, General Zaroff."

The general made one of his deepest bows. "I see," he said. "Splendid! One of us is to furnish a repast for the hounds. The other will sleep in this very excellent bed. On guard, Rainsford." . . .

When Rainsford says he is a beast at bay, he is telling Zaroff that the game is not over.  Zaroff knows this, and is willing to keep fighting.  He loves a challenge. He just was not expecting it given Rainsford's views on murder.   Rainsford wins, and kills Zaroff.  Zaroff’s death was foreshadowed, or hinted at, by Rainsford saying he was still a beast.