Topic #7 Development of Colonial Slavery - PowerPoint Presentation

Topic #7 Development of Colonial Slavery

How did European slavery of Africans first develop?

Portuguese fort named Elmina (“the mine”)

Portuguese first began using slaves on the sugar plantations established on Sao Tome and Principe

The Portuguese claimed slavery served the purpose of turning the heathens to Christianity, thus saving souls.

Slavery never took hold in Europe because of a surplus of labor caused by the Enclosure Movement in the Renaissance

What was slavery like in New Spain?

Before slavery, there were a few Africans with the initial Spanish conquistadores who explored North America

There grew a tremendous demand for slave labor in the Spanish Caribbean colonies, first to mine for gold and once it was depleted later to produced sugar

Spanish first turned to Native Americans as slaves, but this proved not a permanent solution

Spanish Catholic leaders began to complain of the harsh treatment of Native Americans and began to advocate Africans as slaves instead. They later regretted this advice.

Slavery in the sugar plantations of the Caribbean was brutal in part because of the hard work in the hot and sticky, wet climate. Many Europeans did want to stay, and thus invested little work in developing cultural institutions or quality of life

Europeans developed different ways of “ seasoning ” newcomer slaves

Constant work, insufficient food, brutal punishments defined life as a slave in the Caribbean

Given the large number of Africans to Europeans in the Caribbean, there were a number of attempted slave revolts

How did the slave trade develop?

Without a strong presence in west Africa but a need for African slaves in New Spain, the Spanish began offering countries a monopoly on the business of supplying the necessary slaves. This monopoly was known as the asiento . Portugal, of course, first held the asiento since it had the initial upper hand controlling west Africa. In later years, however, other countries won the asiento.

Slave register (left) and brochure from the English Royal African Company (right) After the Portuguese, the Dutch, and later, most notably, the English dominated the slave trade. The English granted a monopoly to one company, the Royal African Company , which refined and expanded the slave trade to North America

Triangular Trade

Slave “ factories ” on coast

Caboceers led the expedition to capture slaves

Factors negotiated prices for captured Africans with tribal leaders

The infamous “ Middle Passage ” was horrible

Overcrowding was common on slave ships

Plan for lower decks on slave ships, slaves shackled foot to foot, head to toe in rows stacked on top of each other

Overcrowding led to shipboard epidemics

Early slaves came from the area of the Senegal River Valley Later slave traders concentrated on the Niger and Kongo river valleys The “Gold Coast” becomes the “Slave Coast”

In time, once slavery had developed in English North America, the Caribbean colonies became a major exporter of slaves

By the 18 th century, the trade was in reality a lot more complex than just the simple “Triangular Trade.”

Why and how did slavery develop in North America?

Blacks arriving at Jamestown

First blacks were indentured servants

As Virginia and the Chesapeake region grew, discrimination against blacks increased.

The length of indentured servant contracts for blacks began to increase.

The first statutes defining slavery (servitude for life, and continued among offspring) and outlining codes of conduct were in Virginia in 1661-1662. These codes became fairly uniform as other colonies adopted slavery: 1) Slavery defined by status of birth mother 2) Slaves found guilty of murder or rape were to be hanged, while punishments for lesser crimes remained severe 3) Slaves could would be treated as chattel property, able to be purchased and sold and with virtually no restrictions on owner’s treatment

Growing tobacco was a very time-consuming and laborious process, requiring a lot of workers.

Given the high profits growing tobacco in America, production of tobacco soon outstripped European demand . There was a glut of tobacco Tobacco production grew tremendously An advertisement for Virginia tobacco

Note the dramatic drop in the prices for tobacco in colonial America Rather than cut production, the growers tried to cut labor costs

At this time, mortality rates were dropping . More people were living longer.

Now, for the first time, more indentured servants were completing their promised period of servitude, when their master would have to set them free and then purchase a new indentured servant contract. Before, most would simply die before the end of their contract.

Facing the new reality of having to purchase a series of indentured servant contracts, the possibility of slavery became a cheaper alternative . While a slave would cost more at the outset, he would have to work for life. Before, it did not make economic sense to pay more for a slave when most would die within a short period anyway. Slavery, therefore, grew out of the tobacco indentured servant economy. Africans were perfect for slavery. The Spanish had already used African slavery in New Spain to great profits, and because Africans appeared so different, it was easy to distinguish who was a slave and who was not. Moreover, English culture had long perceived anything dark or black as evil.

What was slavery like in the middle and northern colonies?

Middle Colonies New England colonies There was slavery in the middle and northern colonies, but because of the way the society and economy had developed there, slavery was much less widespread. This was especially true for New England. Where it did exist it tended to be less harsh. It should be noted that there were larger numbers of “ Free Blacks ” also in the middle and northern colonies.

Was there any resistance to the development of slavery?

Stono Rebellion took place in South Carolina in 1739