Slavery In The Late Eighteenth Century

1. According to the reading, why was slavery such an important part of the American economy at the time?

In the time period between 1775 and 1830, African Americans start to gain more freedom in the North while the institution of slavery expanded in the South. These changes occurred due to the existence of different point of views. The North did not need slavery and acknowledge the cons of slavery while the South’s want for slavery quickly became a need.

From 1775 to 1830, many African Americans gained freedom from slavery, yet during the same period the institution of slavery expanded. Explain why BOTH of those changes took place. Analyze the ways that BOTH free African Americans and enslaved African Americans responded to the

At first the Missouri Compromise worked out well, but white slave owners were unpleased that Congress had given itself the right to control slave laws. Northerners weren’t happy either. They were upset about Congress letting slavery spread through the states.

Discuss the various compromises that attempted to resolve the conflicts over the expansion of slavery into new territories. In what ways were they successful? Why, ultimately, did these compromises fail? (5 points)

Due to the compromise in the 1820, stimulation of freeing of slaves in the North was strengthened, along with the laws of slave rights in the south. It revealed to the North, that slavery was rapidly falling out, and the economic consequences could be a major problem as cotton gin was such a successful profit with the use of slaves in the south.

In the early years of the 19th century, slavery was more than ever turning into a sectional concern, such that the nation had essentially become divided along regional lines. Based on economic or moral reasoning, people of the Northern states were increasingly in support of opposition to slavery, all the while Southerners became united to defend the institution of slavery. Brought on by profound changes including regional differences in the pattern of slavery in the upper and lower South, as well as the movement of abolitionism in the North, slavery in America had transformed from an issue of politics into a moral campaign during the period of 1815-1860, ultimately polarizing the North and the South to the point in which threats of a Southern disunion would mark the beginning of the Civil War in 1861 (Goldfield et. al, The American Journey, p. 281).

Slavery existed heavily in the South by the 1700’s. What started out with indentured servants, quickly but slowly, became slavery in a more brutal and disheartening way. European colonists turned to slavery because for every one indentured servant there were 17 slaves. (Chapter 2, page 46) This made it easier for European colonists to be able to replace slaves rather than waiting for indentured servants. Also, during Bacon’s Rebellion, Europeans quickly learned that servants were dangerous, because they had a right to fight back. Servants expected to be free within seven years in exchange for working the Europeans land. This also created the image that slaves would be easier to control simply because they had nothing to look forward to, once a slave always a slave. Once the Virginia slave law came out, it initially separated blacks and whites by skin color thus beginning the road to the new definition of “race.” In the south, slavery was in higher demand due to the increase of land to grow crops, indigo and tobacco. The more land you had, the more slaves you needed to pick and grow these crops which increased your money value.

American’s who live in the 21st century know that slavery is terrible and also a touchy subject. But Americans used to rely heavily on slavery, how we perceive slavery in today’s society can either be the same or different from how others thought of slavery living within mid 1800s. People who resided in the northern region of American found slavery wrong as we do today. Americans who lived farther south however liked, and relied on slavery. In today’s world, we Americans almost all agree that slavery had been a negative factor of our country. But within the 1840s and 1870s, Americans had been divided by slavery. People that were against slavery created the union as the pro slavery citizens created the confederates. Today, we can see why people of the mid 19th century either supported slavery or rebelled against it by reviewing sources.

While the time period from 1775 to 1830 may seem like an era of freeing slaves and ending slavery, the institution of slavery expanded. The North may have been abolishing slavery, but slavery continued to grow rapidly in the south (Doc C). Having slaves was just economically efficient for

The Southern Colonies developed race-based slavery because of the rising need to increase labor and to decrease costs. The move toward profit-based agriculture over subsistence farming meant that there was an expanding need for laborers, which would increasingly expand with success, necessitating a further increase of cheap labor. In addition to being labor intensive, the Southern crops: rice, tobacco, sugarcane, and indigo were grown for cash rather than for immediate need. Technically there is no such thing as enough with a goal as abstract as profit and so would not end with a fulfilled, finite, need but rather with means and a desire to expand. With profit as a goal expansion is only limited by available, usable, acreage and becomes a goal in and of itself. With expansion as a goal, a self-replenishing and unpaid workforce allows for greater profit and thus greater expansion. It was a snowball effect creating a market for humans.

Primarily, the slaves took a great proportion of the development of economy at that century. If there were no existence of slavery, the economy of America would not be so rapidly. Secondly, considering from the political aspect, at the beginning of establishing United States, the South slave owners played a significant role in the politic, thus the slavery related to the South slave owners also needed to be reserved. And slave owners required lots of slaves to develop their economy and gain money, thus slaves were indispensable for them. So they supported that implementing the slavery in the Newlands. However, the Northern people were developing capitalism. And in order to develop their economy, the slavery was an obstacle on their development. Because of free labor, commodity market and raw material were required. Thus, the North-South contradiction became more and more intensive. The constitution concerned to keep the peace and ease contraction between north-south

The stability that slavery created in the American South between 1820 and 1860 was phenomenal. Economic stability was like no other country had ever seen, this economic stability created a global marketing network throughout many different nations, trade routes that still exist within modern America today. Slavery became the bedrock of American South livelihood; it became so valuable that it was almost seen as unimaginable to live without slavery. “It was inconceivable that European colonists could have settled and developed America without slave labour taking place,” this was according to……. The reason the south prospered and grew like it did was due to slavery. The value that slaves had to their slave owners was unquestionable. Slave owners were able to receive loans, whilst using their slaves as guarantors; these loans would then have been used in the purchasing of further land, more livestock and more slaves. It was also said that slave owners used their slaves to pay of any outstanding debt they may have had. It is clear to see the economic value that slaves possessed; they were included in the valuation of estates, for example; (Example), and this in turn became a source of tax revenue for the National as well as the local Governments, it was also

8) What were the goals and methods of the abolitionist movement? Who were the leaders? Why were they unpopular?

Another getting along with people. Everyone one has secrets if you have friendships those won’t get out. The more friendly you are in the slave community the better your treated. Working together makes your day and job go faster as a slave. This is why in night John they have close friends show the realistic side of slavery.