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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.
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Table of Contents • History of Slavery • The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade • Slavery in America (Click Title to go to Content)
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
Slave ships averaged 200 slaves • The trip took 3-6 weeks • 15-20% died • Ratio of Males to females, 2:1 • 10% Children
Click on the slaves to go to the Table of contents and see what their lives were like 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.
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 Stereotypes of the south: either rich plantation owners or hillbillies. Rich Plantation owners 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 -Permanent White Upper class B -Permanent Black Lower class Rich W/B