The Need for Slavery in the Colonies - 856 Words

The Need for Slavery in the Colonies Farming, sewing, and taking care of livestock were just a few responsibilities that were left to slaves during the 1600 s. White families received all of the benefits from the work done, yet they rarely had to lift a finger, unless it was to correct a slave. Today s generation reads about slavery and regards it as morally wrong. While I agree that slavery was one of America s greatest wrongdoings, it paved the way for America as we know it today. One of the largest uses of slave labor was in the southern plantations. Virginia s economy depended greatly on the production of tobacco. However, the problem being that tobacco plants required thousands of workers to produce the extensive amount†¦show more content†¦There were other advantages to slavery in the 1600 and 1700 s other than working on the plantations. Once the slave trade started, slavery became a hereditary disease. If a slave bore a child, that child was automatically forc ed into slavery for the rest of his or her life. This led to generations upon generations of slaves, and a plentiful investment for their masters. While indentured servants were cheaper than slaves, slaves were the property of the master for life, rather than just five years. Servants were treated even worse for this reason, but slaves were not treated much better. The master did not have to pay for much once the slave was purchased, except for a small ration of food everyday, and thin cloth for the slave to wear . Although the slaves were treated poorly, they had a responsibility to be loyal to their masters. In A True and Exact History of the Island of Barbadoes, Richard Ligon describes the treatment of slaves and servants. He tells about a time in which the thoughtless servants accidentally set their masters land on fire. Since the servants did not owe any certain loyalty to their master, they did nothing to stop it. However, the slaves risked their lives to stop the fir e, seeing it as their own duty . Having the slaves on the land protected it from any mishaps. The slaveShow MoreRelatedEssay on Importance of Slavery to the Southern Way of Life1465 Words   |  6 PagesImportance of Slavery to the Southern Way of Life America almost from the beginning was heavily dependent on forced labour. In 1619, John Rolfe in Virgina reported about the last day of August came in a butch man-of-war that sold us 20 negers. This is the first record of Africans settling in America. The Southern colonies were more dependent on labour then the North, as the climate in the South was ideal for plantation agricultural. In the 17th century the basisRead MoreAfrican Americans and Cotton Fields1233 Words   |  5 PagesWhen we think about slavery we perceive it to be African Americans working on a cotton field, but where did that perception come from and where did slavery begin in North America? 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In 1763 Britain decided to end the neglect and parliament turned its attention to a more controlling attitude toward the American colonies. This new found attention to the colonies caused BritishRead MoreFrench Dbq764 Words   |  4 PagesThe issue of slavery has been a major point of debate in the history of man. The rights of African slaves during the Enlightenment and the French Revolution created controversies arose over the issue of slavery. People living in France during the Enlightenment and revolutionary times had debated that slavery was needed in order for France to avoid an economic shock, slavery should end, slaves needed rights, and slaves were better off being slaves than free. Men hadargued that slavery was neededRead More slavery in 18th century Essay956 Words   |  4 Pagesslavery in 18th century Despite the horror of the word slavery we have to admit that slaves have played a big role in rising big empires. For example the Egyptians used slaves to build their majestic pyramids, the Chinese and Indian used slaves for large-scale construction and agricultural and the Hebrews also used slaves. Slaves were brought from Africa to the British American colonies to work in agriculture and farming, which among other factors made the British colonies in America become soRead MoreThe Chesapeake Bay Colonies988 Words   |  4 Pagesof years, usually between four and seven, in exchange for transportation to the colonies. The Chesapeake Bay colonies, Virginia and Maryland, where especially condition to use indentured servants. During this essay I will explain why the Chesapeake Bay colonies were in such need of the servants and why eventually they turned to slavery to fill the void left by the indentured servants. In the Chesapeake Bay colonies the English colonist found that tobacco grew very well in the warm environment, butRead MoreHigman Essay1380 Words   |  6 PagesWhen slavery was abolished in Britain in 1808, the Atlantic slave trade had been going on for centuries. The abolition movement comes from a history that stems deep. In order to fully understand the movement, one must educate themselves on various aspects such as, how it all began and the leading campaigners against the slave trade. With such knowledge, one may be able to piece together the many reasons why the abolishment of the slave trade took two decades to cease in Great Britain. Despite theRead MoreSlavery and the Economy of the Southern Colonies Essay1282 Words   |  6 Pagesto they could not live without it. This is what African slaves were to the Southern colonists. Slavery was a huge factor in the Southerner’s lives. Originally the colonists used indentured servants to work in their homes and on their pl antations. This situation was not ideal because the Southern farmers wanted more control over their workers (orange). Virginian farmers heard about the success of slavery in the Caribbean and thought it would be a good solution to their problems (blue). The southern