Slavery In The Colonial Colonies

The introduction of Africans to America in 1619 set off an irreversible chain of events that effected the economy of the southern colonies. With a switch from the expensive system of indentured servitude, slavery emerged and grew rapidly for various reasons, consisting of economic, geographic, and social factors. The expansion of slavery in the southern colonies, from the founding of Jamestown in 1607 to just before America gained its independence in 1775, had a lasting impact on the development of our nation’s economy, due to the fact that slaves were easy to obtain, provided a life-long workforce, and were a different race than the colonists, making it easier to justify the immoral act.

The origins and development of slavery in Britain’s North American colonies during the colonial period can be traced down to the fact that North American colonies were created for the economic profit of Great Britain. Reasons for the development of slavery in the North American colonies can be the switch to slavery from indentured servitude due to the desire of free labor and the results of Bacon’s rebellion, the introduction of cash crops such as sugar and tobacco and the introduction of the plantation system, and the easy access of slaves due to the triangular trade and the middle passage.

The origins and development of slavery within Britain’s North American colonies in the period 1607 to 1776 was majorly in part by the English need for economic power. England had just arose as the strongest naval of the North Atlantic had they had to keep their high standing in the world. Bacon’s Rebellion, the profit received by cash crops, and the ability to easily purchase slaves through trade highly boosted Britain’s economy. The colonists within the British colony kept through economic standing and power by making themselves higher than any other through slavery.

People used religion as a way to justify the act of slavery. They believed that God determined people’s places in life, so slavery was considered a “misfortune” controlled by God and not a social evil (Shi and Tindall, 91). Africans were also seen as “heathens” which lead people to believe that they had the right to enslave the Africans (Shi and Tindall, 92) The Africans brought the skills they had in Africa with them which made them very desirable in the American economy. Also, there was the creation of the slave code allowed slave owners more control over their slaves activates and movements (The Virginia Slaves

In 1619, Virginia was an isolated British settlement on the Chesapeake Bay. It was sparsely populated by men trying to make the colony profitable for England. But the colonists were devastated by hunger, disease, and raids by Native Americans. So when the White Lion, a badly damaged Dutch slave ship arrived, carrying 20 kidnapped black Africans, the colonists bartered food and services for the human cargo. The Africans started working for the colonists. They would work 7 years of hard labor in exchange for land and freedom. But when colonies started to prosper, the colonists were reluctant to lose their labor. Since the Africans did not have citizenship, they were not subject to English common law. They were workers with no rights.

Additionally slavery stemmed from the need of a large labor force in the southern colonies. “Growing tobacco was labor intensive, and colonial planters soon found that immigration from Europe and natural population increases were unable to supply the numbers of laborers needed to work the tobacco fields... By 1700, Virginia was importing huge numbers of slaves to provide the labor“ (“Chesapeake Bay - Economy”. 2) The lowering of slaves rights and the increase of Chesapeake area’s dependence on slaves was due to this switch and all white classes forming closer

Most notably were the slaves brought to Jamestown by a Dutch ship in 1619. There were 20 Africans, all of whom where indentured servants. By being indentured, they would work for a certain period in exchange for transportation, housing and food. They were also given land after their service and were then considered free Negroes. In comparison to life in the 21st century where one must work, often up till or near death to pay for their home and food, hardly making ends meet, one might think that the rewards of being indentured: housing, food and land was actually a more desirable system. Of course all that gleams is not gold and the downside to this system was the involuntary settlement of Africans from their homeland, often under brutal conditions. From that time, the complexity of the relationship expanded, as well as the practice and need for more slaves as greed grew exponentially due to a cash crop that changed the new world; cotton. Luckily for Southerners their greedy needs were addressed by a war that had its roots planted deep in the slavery of Africans now under the Flag of the

Slavery became an established activity in America by 1600’s. The slaves were mostly to provide free and cheap labor. Apart from America, slavery was practiced in other parts of the world throughout history, and in fact it can be traced back to the time of the ancient civilization. With industrial revolution especially with the rise of sugar plantations, the slaves were used to grow sugar in the periods from 1100. This intensified between 1400 and 1500 when Portugal and Spain ventured into sugar growing in the eastern Atlantic regions. The growth of the plantations required labor, hence African slaves were bought from Africa, to provide labor.

This was true mainly because a large number of forced laborers were present when the masters needed them to work. In Virginia, for example, by the end of the 1600s, Africans, most of them enslaved, made up fourteen percent of the colony’s population partly to the slave system. And by 1750, some 145,000 Africans worked in the region. In Maryland, at first they depended for labor in its early years but in later years of the 17th century began to import black slaves in large numbers. On the other hand, it may be true that in the beginning of the southern colonies in the early 1600s, most servants were indentured and were willing to work. However, in later years towards the 18th century southern colonies began to favor forced labor systems with the exception of reform-minded Georgia before

Eventually there was less land to give away and it became impractical for plantation owners to buy indentured servants. This is what shifted the labor force to African slaves. The slaves are not under a contract like the indentured servants. They worked for the plantation owner for life and then their children worked for life. Punishment for the slaves are physical violence such as whipping, starving, and

One of the largest uses of slave labor was in the southern plantations. Virginia 's economy depended greatly on the production of tobacco. However, the problem being that tobacco plants required thousands of workers to produce the extensive amount

The uncertain status blacks led to the subjugation of African slaves due to the creation of a system of permanent bonding. The advent of African slaves in North America was substantial in order to meet the large labor demand. Significantly, “Their helplessness made

In the American colonies, Virginians switched from indentured servants to slaves for their labor needs for many reasons. A major reason was the shift in the relative supply of indentured servants and slaves. While the colonial demand for labor was increasing, a sharp decrease occurred in the number of English migrants arriving in America under indenture. Slaves were permanent property and female slaves passed their status on to their children. Slaves also seemed to be a better investment than indentured servants. Slaves also offered masters a reduced level of successful flight.

The extensive use of slave labor led to Africans rebelling and refusing to work. The harsh treatments led to them wanting freedom and to become a part of our society. They wanted an education, a pay, better homes, better food, and better living conditions for them and their family. By the 18th century many places has abolished the use of slave labor and many more places were to continue abolishing slave

Slavery was a practice in many countries in the 17th and 18th centuries, but modern history was unique to the United States. The most noticeable effect that it had on the colonies was personal and financial growth of the people and the nation. Africans was the lesser class and they were used by the slave owners to promote their wealth and stature. The larger their plantation, the wealthier and more successful people were seen. But in order to do this, the plantation owners needed workers, but if they had to pay workers reasonable wages. African slaves were known as a large, dependable, and permanent source of 'cheap labor' because slaves rarely ran away and when