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How did Slavery Develop in the American Colonies?

How did Slavery Develop in the American Colonies?. Making sense of slavery:. Comparing: Development in: The Chesapeake The North The “low country” Why all the detail? Not monolithic . . . A human relationship that changes over time. Making sense of slavery:. Societies with slaves

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How did Slavery Develop in the American Colonies?

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  1. How did Slavery Develop in the American Colonies?

  2. Making sense of slavery: • Comparing: • Development in: • The Chesapeake • The North • The “low country” • Why all the detail? • Not monolithic . . . A human relationship that changes over time

  3. Making sense of slavery: • Societies with slaves • Slavery one form of labor among many • Thus: • Holdings smaller • Status more fluid • Not any less brutal • Slave societies slavery is central mode of production How does the transition to a slave society happen?

  4. Creating Societies with Slaves: The North First slaves in North: were Atlantic creoles An economically marginal region

  5. Creating a Slave Society: New Netherlands as a case study “agricultural workers, who are brought here at great expense, sooner or later apply themselves to trade, and neglect agriculture altogether.” Slaves filled the gap–by 1638, 30% of New Amsterdam’s population.

  6. Slavery in New Netherlands Social implications of demand for labor: Negotiate right to live and work on their own Create assimilated community

  7. The rest of the North: • Overwhelmingly rural life • Especially Hudson River Valley, New Jersey and PA • Social circumstances: • Live and work alongside whites • Work at wide range of tasks • Disproportionately urban • Impact on Black culture – assimilation (and negotiation potential), yet alienation

  8. Societies with Slaves: The Lowcountry • First settlers include former Barbadians who hope to transplant sugar plantations and slavery • Foiled by Amerindian neighbors – relations not stable; perpetual warfare • Creates a frontier economy

  9. Societies with Slaves: The Lowcountry • Implications for enslaved people? • Most are Atlantic creoles, with a lot of knowledge about slavery and Europeans • Lots of room for negotiation: • Economy means work independence • Can end up with time for their own use: develop own economies • External military threats – are armed, and potentially can earn freedom • Frontier presents an opportunity to escape Maroon communities

  10. Conclusions about 17th Century American Societies with Slaves: • slaves a small part of population • harder to create an African-based culture • economy dependent upon slaves – creates opportunities for autonomy • slavery just one for of non-freedom among many types

  11. Creating Slave Societies • The transition in the Chesapeake • Shift from indentured servant labor to slaves after Bacon’s Rebellion: • Causes: • Supply issues – cheaper slaves; fewer indentured servants after 1680s • Social issues – fear of social disorder based on class antagonism

  12. Shift to slavery in the ChesapeakeConsequences for African-American life: • Slavery Africanized • To whites, seem beyond the pale of civilization • Sharp deterioration in quality of life • Skewed sex ratios from importation of more males • Shifts in work conditions: patriarchal masters create gang labor • Slaves treated with new control and cruelty • Brute force used to sustain new economic regime • Laws distinguish whites from Blacks, both free and enslaved

  13. Creating a Slave Society: The Low-Country • Discovering a staple crop: rice • Degradation of Black quality of life • New demand for slave labor; Africanization of slavery • Slaves now dominate population: by 1760, 60% of the population of region • Transformation of work • Rice plantation conditions deadly • Population cannot reproduce itself until 1760s

  14. Creating a Slave Society: The Low Country – Changes in 18th century • Whites leave plantations: patriarchy-at-a-distance • New work system evolves: task labor • Self-policing of work translates into autonomy • Becomes a recognized right: restrictions and the Stono rebellion, 1739 • Relative cultural isolation, and freedom

  15. What about the North? • Growing significance of slavery after 1700: • In shipping ports; commerical grain plantations in NY, NJ and PA • Growing imports of slaves from Africa directly • Skewed sex ratios; family life deteriorates • Restrictions on manumission; repression and anxiety • 1741 slave conspiracy hysteria

  16. Conclusions: Why the transformation? • 1. Key is shift to staple crop production • 2. Drives demand for importations of slave laborers, and Africanization of slavery • 3. Slaveholders solidify legal degradation and control • Yet, process pretty different depending on local circumstances: • No one African-American culture . . .

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