1. What were the Origins of Slavery?
What Impact did it have on the development of the North American colonies?

2. Key Concept 2.1.ii
The British–American system of slavery developed out of the economic, demographic, and geographic characteristics of the British-controlled regions of the New World.

3. Slavery In Africa / Pre-Colonial
NOT generational (children could not be enslaved to their mother’s owner)
NOT defined as property
COULD rise to positions of influence
NOT racially prescribed
Source:

4. Chattel Slavery, Pre-colonial Period
“chattel” = personal property
15th c. Portugal established slave trade in W. Africa
1482 Elmina, “the mine,” first exchange point for slaves on W. African mainland
Portugal and Spain export chattel slavery to New World
native peoples  African slaves
“Middle passage,” transatlantic slave trade
~10 – 12 million Africans exported from 1492 – 1808
17th – 18th centuries
Vast majority to Caribbean, S. America
~400,000 to N. America (and the majority after 1700)
Source:

5. Chattel Slavery / Colonial Period
first cargo of African slaves arrive in VA in 1619
still, importing African slaves was expensive
Chesapeake depended primarily upon indentured servants until introduction of “slave codes” through the Slave Act of 1705.
Source:

6. Indentured Servitude / Colonial Period
“white slaves”
Voluntary debt bondage to pay for passage
Granted land after 5-7 yrs.(if survived).
“headright” system benefitted masters
“freedom dues”: seeds, clothes, land
Chesapeake imported 100,000 by 1700
hardened lot: discipline, scarce land/freedom dues; low wage hire-backs
But they were not slaves
The Planter owned the labor, not the body
Source:

15. Historian, Howard Zinn
When it came to implementing the enslavement of Africans in the colonies, “Racism was not a natural reaction, but had to be instituted by the colonial governments”.

16. Virginia Slave Codes
Activity: Document Shuffle Identify the Laws enacted by the Virginian Colonial Government. Why were they enacted? What do you think was the impact of these laws? Identify the economic, demographic, geographic, characteristics of the development of slavery from the documents and the Zinn readings.

17. Growth of the Black Population in Virginia
1625 – – – 2, – 3, – 16, – 26, – 30, – 60, – 210,000
Source: Colonial Williamsburg

18. Characteristics Economic developments Demographic developments
Shortage of indentured servants
Growing European demand for colonial goods
Demographic developments
Lack of effective means to enslave native populations
English colonies attracted males and females
Little intermingling/marriage = rigid racial hierarchy
Strong belief in British racial, cultural superiority
Geographic developments
Abundance and consolidation of land
Thriving tobacco, wheat plantations in South
Source:

21. Slave Rebellions
Africans developed both overt and covert methods to resist the dehumanizing aspects of slavery
1712 New York City slave revolt
1739 Stono rebellion, largest before the Civil War
later
1831 Nat Turner rebellion

23. Discussion Questions
Was the development of African slavery in the North American colonies inevitable?
(Consider the fact that it was never developed in other colonial areas such as New France )

24. What role did the Spanish encomienda system and British sugar colonies play in introducing slavery to the Southern colonies?