Slavery in Africa• Slaves represented the

bottom stratum of African society

• Different from slavery as it developed in the Americas

• Most African slaves were captives of war

• Slavery in Africa not permanent or hereditary

• Assimilation

Africans enslaved by other Africans

Indentured Servitude• A means for people to get

to the New World• Master paid for passage to

America• Indentured servant then

owed 5–7 years of work• Once indenture was paid,

servant became free• Indentured servants

initially more desirable than slavesA certificate of indenture

The Origins of American Slavery

• First African slaves in America brought to Jamestown in 1619

• Slavery institutionalized in many states by 1640

• Slaves became “chattel property”

African slaves landing at Jamestown, 1619

Development of Slavery in the New World

• Using Native Americans as slaves problematic

• African slaves became more cost effective than indentured servants

• Colonists viewed blacks as inferior

• Slaves were servants for life

South American Indians captured as slaves by Europeans

The Middle Passage

• Voyage of slaves from Africa to the New World

• Slaves tightly packed in ships’ holds

• Filthy conditions• Disease outbreaks• Some 20% died during

the voyage to America

Diagram of a tightly packed slave ship

The Triangular Trade• Involved Europe,

Africa, and the Americas

• Trade goods carried to Africa for slaves

• Slaves taken to the Americas and traded for raw materials

• Raw materials sent to Europe to be made into trade goods

Slave Auctions• Slaves

“seasoned”• Slaves

auctioned in a manner similar to livestock

• Inspected by potential buyers

• “Grab and go” auctions

Slave auctions such as the one depicted here were common in the colonial era and after the Revolutionary War

African Americans in the Revolution

• Blacks fought for both sides

• British promised freedom to slaves

• Washington originally denied black enlistments

• Rhode Island free black regiment

Crispus Attucks, a former slave, was one of those killed by British troops in the 1770 Boston Massacre

Slavery and the Constitution• Slavery a major issue at

Constitutional Convention• Northern delegates wanted

to count slaves for taxation, but not legislative representation

• Southern delegates wanted to count slaves for representation, but not taxation

• “Three-fifths compromise”

State Constitutions and Slavery• Northern states abolish

slavery in their constitutions

• Vermont first with “conditional abolition”

• Other state constitutions established gradual emancipation

• Constitutions in New York and New Jersey eliminated slavery, but enacted “apprenticeship” programs

Slavery and the Northwest Ordinance

• Ordinance designed to create from three to five new states out of the Northwest Territory

• Slavery not permitted in the new states

• Some settlers brought slaves with them to the territories

Slavery and the Cotton Gin• Machine separates

cotton “lint” from seeds

• Invented by Eli Whitney• Made cotton

production more efficient and profitable

• Increased need for slaves in the South

Explosion in Cotton Production

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1790 1810 1830 1850

Cottonproduction(thousands ofbales)

Slavery in the North• Northern colonies relied less

on agriculture; thus, fewer slaves needed

• Northern slaves mostly in cities or small farms

• Northern slaves had more legal rights than Southern slaves

• However, many Northern whites still considered blacks inferior

A slave being sold in New York, 1643

Decline of Slavery in the North• States pass laws

abolishing slave trade• Abolitionist societies

grow in North• Religious groups take the

lead• Congregational Church;

Quakers create groups• Slavery less an economic

necessity in the NorthJohn Jay, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, campaigned to outlaw slavery in New York state

Economic Impact of Slavery on the North

• Provided work for many skilled and unskilled workers involved in processing slaves

• British mercantile policies affected the slave trade, which affected New England’s economy

• New England goods contributed to the “Triangular Trade”

• Slave trade made some wealthyEnslaved Africans landing at

an American port

Slavery in the South• Many worked as field hands; the rest were artisans

or house servants• Slavery entrenched in Southern society by 1860• Nearly one in every four Virginia families owned

slaves• More than 2,300,000 slaves in the lower South• More than 1,200,000 slaves in upper South• Nearly 430,000 slaves in the border states

Why Slavery FlourishedEconomically in the South

• Fewer urban centers• Predominantly

agricultural• “King Cotton”• Tobacco still a staple

crop

Slave Children• Slave infant

mortality rates high• Children generally

malnourished• Children forced to

work at an early age• Most labor involved

unskilled work“Picking Cotton on a Georgia Plantation”

Note the children working side-by-side with the adults in the field.

Life as a Slave• Most slaves worked as

agricultural laborers• Some served as house

servants and semi-skilled labor

• Slaves worked long hours in difficult conditions

• Some slaves given land to grow their own food

Discipline of Slaves• Slave owners used a

range of punishments• Denying passes to

leave plantation• Whipping• Shackles and chains• Imprisonment in

private jails• A few rewards existed