How Did African Americans Come To The Colonies

When Europeans arrived along the West African coast, slavery already existed on the continent, however slavery in Africa and the brutal form of slavery that would develop in the Americas were completely different. African slavery was more like European serfdom. For example, in the Ashanti Kingdom of West Africa, slaves could marry, own property and even own slaves. And slavery ended after a certain number of years of servitude. Most importantly, African slavery was never passed from one generation to another, and it lacked the racist element that whites were masters and blacks were slaves.

In America, the lives of Africans did not get any easier. Once the demand for labor began increasing dramatically, more and more Africans were imported to America. Originally, white people and black people worked together in the plantations. As a result of the increase in Africans in these British colonies, less white people took jobs on plantations. Eventually, enslavement became based on race. Numerous slave codes were developed, which included denying slaves the right to be out past sunset and denying slaves the right to meet in groups of three or more. These Africans forced to live enslaved in America were treated as if they were inferior to white people. It is discouraging to think about the fact that this country, though it was long ago, once accepted this kind of social injustice.

Soon this need for cheap labor was replaced with a need for even cheaper labor. Slavery filled this need, but when Africans arrived to America in 1619, the colonists initially treated them as indentured servants. It was not until 1641 that the first slave codes were passed in the colony of Massachusetts and 20 years later in Virginia, marking the

Slavery began in the late 16th century to early 18th century. Africans were brought to American colonies by white masters to come and work on their plantations in the South. They were treated harshly with no payments for all their hard work. In addition, they lived under harsh living conditions, and this led to their resistance against these harsh conditions. The racism towards the African Americans who were slaves was at its extreme as they did not have any rights; no civil nor political rights.

In Italy, during the 1300’s, merchants acquired the first slaves. They were not from Africa though; instead they were from southeast Europe. Eventually though, the European slaves were replaced by African slaves, because Africans were considered to be the most inferior race. African slaves worked so well for the Europeans that they decided to bring them over to the New World and force them to work the rugged land for them. Spain and Portugal were the first European countries to bring slaves to the New World. The French, English, and Dutch were soon to follow. Unfortunately, the slaves were usually required to work from sun up to

For almost 400 years slaves were taken from Africa and displaced throughout the world. The first Africans slaves arrived in Virginia in the early 1600’s and millions more would follow throughout the coming centuries. Shortly after colonist

For the colonists slavery was an easy concept. African slaves had practiced slavery before and were more skilled. When they were introduced to the new world they had no idea where they were. They started to work again for the colonist because they had so few choices for themselves and didn’t know the best for them. They need a lot of labor with the Native population decreasing they needed some.The slaves were experienced in intensive agriculture and raising livestock and knew how to raise crops. They started bringing more and more slaves across the Atlantic ocean and to the new world. They started to take them out of England and make up all the American colonies.

The Africans, on the other hand, were also forced from their homes and into slave labor. The English captured Africans bringing them to the New World on the Middle Passage. The Africans were brought to the New World as a form free labor to help build the colonies. The English did use the Indians for labor, but found it hard to work with them and they were susceptible to illness and were not as strong as the Africans. The Africans suffered through sickness and lack of understanding secondary to the language barriers with the English. They also had problems

Slavery was first introduced to the Colonies around 1619-1621, it is not clear, but the first African American slave to own land was Anthony Johnson. (source A) He purchased his freedom & even had his own slave to help him out on his land. Many of the slave's were dominant

The Slave Trade in Colonial America The first blacks in the American Colonies were brought in, like many lower-class whites, as indentured servants. Most indentured servants had a contract to work without wages for a master for four to seven years, after which they became free. Blacks brought in as slaves, however, had no right to eventual freedom. The first black indentured servants arrived in Jamestown in the colony of Virginia in 1619.

started to ship out more slaves to fulfill their strengths in other manual labor tasks which

When African Americans first arrived in American colonies in 1619, religion and wealth were the determining factors of superiority. Most labor was performed by indentured servants of European decent at this time. However as immigrant arrivals slowed and the need for labor increased, African American slaves were shipped over and considered to be a never ending supply of labor. Colonial law and statues began to use the word White opposed to Englishmen or Christians to show superiority. Lower class Europeans thus obtained more rights and had access to better job opportunities as they were replaced by the inferior African Americans. At this time African Americans were believed to be a different species while Natives were considered to be white

Before the enslavement of Africans was initiated into English colonies it was more common in Central and South America. The first Africans were brought to Jamestown in 1619. Their current status included working for an employer in exchange for passage to the New World. It was a whole labor system where they had contracts in place. This status was also shared with poor whites.

The Irish were the first slaves. African slaves had not started until a few years later. It was told that african slaves were slaved because they hated the catholic reasoning.But, were often treated far better than their Irish counterparts.They were treated very poorly but not as bad as the Africans. The labor-intensive agriculture of the New World demanded a large workforce. All slaves worked on crops:

The major misfortunes for Africans began from the moment they were captured, sold and taken to the ship in which they would be transported across the Atlantic ocean. It was a very long journey in which Africans were treated like caged animals. According to Alexander Falconbridge’s paper, these people were forced to live in between the decks of the ship, separating men,