Slavery in America

Table of Contents

• History of Slavery• The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade• Slavery in America

(Click Title to go to Content)

History of Slavery

When Did Slavery Start?

• Slavery has existed throughout history – All People, Blacks, Whites, etc.

• The first slaves were introduced to the western hemisphere by the Spanish and Portuguese around 1500.

• Between 1500 and 1865 (the year the civil war ended) between 9-12 million were brought to the western hemisphere

Why Africans?

• Why not Native Americans?– Disease– Knowledge of local geography• Easier to run away

– Military Resistance

Indentured Servants

• Plantation owners would pay for Europeans to come to America and in return they would be slaves for 3-7 years.

• Problems:– Easier to run away (blended in)– High turnover rate

Click picture to return to Table of Contents

Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

•Slave ships averaged 200 slaves• The trip took 3-6 weeks•15-20% died•Ratio of Males to females, 2:1• 10% Children

Slave Auctions

Click on the slaves to go to the Table of contents and see what their lives were like in America

Slavery in America

Slave Codes

• Couldn’t vote, own firearms, own land.• Not allowed to gather in large groups (ex.

church).• Required to meet a curfew.• Illegal to learn to read or write.• Couldn’t testify in court.

Living Conditions

•If a slave owner killed his slave there was usually no consequences. •They were considered property

African-American Resistance to Slavery

• “Passive” and “Active”

Passive Resistance

• Faking sick.• Lie, plead ignorance, pretend to forget.• “Work Slowdown”• Do something wrong on purpose.• Break tools “accidentally”

Active resistance

• Theft:– Chickens, money, watches, etc.

• Abuse and/or kill farm animals• Arson• Running away• Revolt– 100s, mostly small and spur of the moment.

Problems

• If you ran away where would you go?– Slave Patrols– Go North? Very difficult.– Go West? Possible but no guarantee of freedom.– Limited knowledge of geography.

Life in the South

Rich Plantation owners

Stereotypes of the south: either rich plantation owners or hillbillies.

Hillbillies

The reality was that most people in the south were right in the middle.

76% of whites in the south did NOT own slaves

So why fight the Civil War

W

B

-Permanent White Upper class

-Permanent Black Lower class

W/B

Rich