This was one of my few questions that i was struggling with.
A) Describe the growth of North American slavery from 1619 to 1789. Include the status of the first Africans in North America, laws later established to govern them, and the reasons why planters switched from a labor force consisting of indentured servants to one that comprised African slaves.
Thank you for the possible help.
Here are several very informative sites on that history:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=history+of+the+first+African+Americans+in+North+America&btnG=Google+Search
To answer your question about the growth of North American slavery from 1619 to 1789, we need to break it down into three main aspects: the status of the first Africans in North America, the laws established to govern them, and the reasons why planters switched from indentured servants to African slaves. Let's go step by step:
1. Status of the first Africans in North America (1619-1660s):
- The first Africans arrived in the English colony of Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619 as indentured servants, not slaves.
- Initially, their legal status was not clearly defined, and some Africans were able to gain their freedom and become landowners or even slave owners themselves.
- However, by the 1660s, the status of Africans began to change, as laws emerged that specifically targeted and enslaved people of African descent.
2. Laws established to govern African slaves (1660s-1789):
- Laws such as the Virginia Slave Codes (established in the 1660s) imposed harsher restrictions on Africans and their descendants, stripping them of many rights and legal protections.
- These laws defined slavery as a lifelong, hereditary condition, marking a transition from indentured servitude to chattel slavery. Slavery was now based on race, and the children of enslaved women were also enslaved.
- These codes set the foundation for the legal framework of slavery in North America, with other colonies adopting similar laws.
3. Reasons for the shift from indentured servants to African slaves:
- Initially, planters relied on indentured servants, who were usually poor English laborers seeking a new start in America in exchange for a fixed term of service.
- Several reasons contributed to the switch from indentured servants to African slaves:
1) Economic factors: The demand for labor in North America increased as the colonies expanded. African slaves were seen as a more profitable, long-term investment compared to the limited term of service provided by indentured servants.
2) Racial considerations: As African slavery became more deeply ingrained, planters began to associate it with the idea of racial superiority, deeming Africans as inherently suited for labor-intensive work and the status of permanent enslavement.
3) Legal advantages: The legal codes that emerged in the late 17th century reinforced the enslavement of Africans and created a system where slaveholders had significant control over their labor force.
To summarize, North American slavery evolved from its beginnings as indentured servitude to a system of racialized chattel slavery. The status of Africans shifted from ambiguous to legally defined enslavement, and laws were established to perpetuate and regulate the institution of slavery. Economic factors, racial prejudices, and legal advantages contributed to the shift from indentured servants to African slaves as the primary labor force for planters.