A+Guide+To+Slavery+in+the+United+States

= From Indentured Servitude to Abolition of Slavery = toc



**Their arrival to the American Colonies**

 * indentured servants first arrived in America a decade after the settlement of Jamestown by the Virginia Company in 1607.
 * it was created for cheap labour.
 * the early settlers realised that they needed a work force to care for the vast amount of land.
 * the Virginia Company developed the system of indentured servitude in order to lure workers to the Colonies:
 * the passage to the colonies from Europe was costly for everyone
 * indentured servitude became a vital factor in the colonial economy.

**The Establishment**

 * by timing of the formation of the Virginia colony for the Thirty Years War in Europe left numerous skilled workers unemployed.
 * the New World served as a glimmer of hope
 * this explains why 1/2 to 2/3 of the immigrant population that arrived in the American colonies were indentured servants.
 * indentured servants usually worked for about 4 to 7 years in exchange for passage (to the colonies), room, food, and such.
 * although life as an indentured servant was hard to bear, it wasn’t as bad as slavery.
 * unlike slavery, indentured servants were protected with certain rights.
 * they were harshly punished for reasons such as pregnancy and running away.
 * punishments were often things like extending the servitude contract.
 * for the ones that managed to survive the harsh life of indentured servitude and won their freedom, many historians believe that they were better off than those immigrants that came to the colonies as free.
 * indentured servants who’ve won their freedom gained 25 acres of land at least, a year’s worth of corn, arms, a cow, and new clothes.
 * very few indentured servants rose to become part of the elite class.
 * however, most indentured servants that survived the cruel servitude life and the dangerous passage, their standards for satisfaction was modest.

**Shift from indentured servitude to slavery**

 * in 1619, the first Africans that arrived to Virginia was first treated as indentured servants for no slave laws were in place.
 * however, slave laws were passed in Massachusetts in 1641 and in 1661 in Virginia.
 * and all the rights the Africans shared with the white indentured servants were taken away.
 * the cost of the indentured servants rose as demand for labour grew.
 * many landowners also felt threatened by the freed servants demand for their share of land.
 * the elite class soon realised the issue of indentured servitude.
 * consequently, they turned to slavery.
 * African slaves were more profitable and was an ever-renewable labour source.
 * for this the elite class started to favour slaves for indentured servants.

Reasons
There was an increase in demand for slavery because: 1) immigrants did not want to come to America because Europe had higher wages 2) Small farmers and indentured servitude demanded political equality 3) Slavery was a controlled labor force 4) Rice and indigo grew to be the most profitable crop and required inexpensive, unskilled labor. Only white rich plantation owners had many slaves.

Slave Laws
Slave codes or Black codes were a series of laws that were set up by the colonies to ensure control and regulation of slaves. These would ensure African Americans be held in bondage for life and the status to be inherited to children. John Casor and Elizabeth Key cases proved that the English Common Law would not be extended to people of foreign birth. These laws were based on the ideology that slaves or African Americans were inferiors. Colonies tried to abolish slave trade, but they were repealed later. These laws defined slaves as human beings who were deprived of liberty for life and property. It declared death penalty for helping any slave running away from their masters. In 1793, a federal fugitive slave law is enacted, requiring slaves to be returned to their masters if found but was not strongly enforced.

Triangular Trade
In the 17th Century, Royal African Company monopolized slave trade, but with its expiration, New England merchants started on the slave trade. Merchants would start with rum in New England take it to Africa, trade them for slaves and take them to West Indies, trade them for sugar and back to New England for rum. These slaves were kidnapped breaking up families in west Africa. This created a 20% group of slaves in the population in 1775 and 90% of slaves went to plantations in south colonies.

Slaves during American Revolution
Since England had never endorsed slavery, they used it against the rebelling states. Lord Dunmore's proclamation stated that any slaves who joined the royal forces would be guaranteed freedom. Thousands followed Britain and disrupted plantations and some 20,000 of these freedmen were evacuated as the British lost the war.

After Independence
The Constitutional Convention put in the Constitution that the Atlantic Slave trade would be abolished and effective in 1808 letting only descendants of former slaves be able to be slaves. Even though international trade was abolished, domestic trade and illegal trade kept going. The Three-Fifths Compromise stated that slaves would count as 3/5ths of a person for population and taxation purposes.The invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney and the rise of King Cotton rose the demand for slavery greatly.

Slaves During War of 1812
The same thing happened as in American Revolution as the British promised the slaves freedom if they were to join the British forces. Thousands of slaves fled to British lines and ships and Southern plantation owners were damaged by this.

Slave Revolts
Major slave revolts started in 1712 starting with New York Revolt including Stono Rebellion in 1739, Nat Turner's Rebellion in 1831 and the Amistad Seizure of 1839.
 * The New York Revolt:** was the first instance that slaves used violent action against whites killing nine of them in an organized manner. This incarcerated more than 70 slaves and a third of them were executed. This set the tradition of slave uprising and its consequences.
 * The Stono Rebellion:** this was the largest slave rebellion prior to the American Revolution in South Carolina. Africans from Kongo, led by Jemmy, marched down the Stono River with arms. They started with about 20, but soon added 60 more slaves to the march. They attacked whites along the way and killed 20 whites. The South Carolina militia put this march down, but not before another 20 whites were dead and double the slaves killed. Most slaves were then executed. The response was to pass the Negro Act of 1740 that restricted assembly, education and movement of slaves. On the other hand, it imposed a 10 year stop of slave trade and prohibited harsh treatment to stop any future rebellions. Manumissions needed legislative approval as well. This showed that slaves were capable of rebellion and that they needed to be treated at the very least humane to prevent any rebellion.
 * Nat Turner's Rebellion:** was a slave revolt in Southampton County, Virginia led by Nat Turner killing about 50 white people but was soon put down. There was widespread execution of many slaves, guilty and innocent alike. People were struck by fear of slaves and states organized militias to put down slaves. 200 or more slaves were caught and punished by militias and scared groups of people. This fear was seen in the even more widespread use of legislatures to prevent education, assembly and other civil rights for slaves.
 * The Amistad Seizure:** was a case on a Spanish boat in which slaves rebelled, but United States forces stopped them later in New York. This case went to federal court and found that international slave trade was abolished and thus the people were legally free. Since they were illegally confined, they had the right to secure their freedom even through force and were returned to Africa.

Abolition movement
Underground railroad: - brought many slaves out of South. - had stations and houses - Harriet Tubman's 19 trips to rescue slaves - Frederick Douglass - Sojourner Truth

Literature: - Uncle Tom's Cabin: Harriet Beecher Stowe - Changed the views of many northerners by showing them the cruelty of slavery; people became more sympathetic. - During the Civil War, it helped to keep Britain out of the war. The British public sided with the northern moral cause.

Abolitionists: - William Lloyd Garrison: wrote the Liberator - Frederick Douglass: former slave; most powerful anti-slavery speaker - Robert Purvis: used his wealth for the black race; Underground Railroa **-** John Brown: violent abolitionist who led Pottawatomie Massacre; Harpers Ferry

North vs. South over slave issue
Missouri Compromise (comp. of 1820) **-** limited movement of slaves into the North - 36' 30 was drawn. - later repealed by Dred Scott case and Kansas Nebraska Act.

Dred Scott v. Sanford - Dred Scott, a slave who lived in the North, argued that he was freed when he lived in the free state according to the Comp of 1820 (Missouri comp.). - the Court ruled the otherwise, said that anyone slaves are properties, and that the Federal government cannot meddle with people's properties. It proved Missouri Comp unconstitutional. - Strengthened slavery cause, and angered a lot of abolitionist.f

Compromise of 1850 - California entered as a free state - the concept of popular sovereignty was brought up here - Mexican Cession divided into two territories– Utah and New Mexico– and popular sovereignty was allowed. - Washington D.C. was banned of the right to trade slaves - Fugitive Slave Law

Fugitive Slave Law - Part of Compromise of 1850 - Angered many northerners - set a precedent for Jim Crow - tried to keep slaves from escaping to the North; direct opponent of Underground Railroads and abolitionists - this is what made Compromise of 1850 unappealing to both southerners and northerners

Kansas- Nebraska Act (1854) - allowed "popular sovereignty" in Kansas and Nebraska - resulted in Bloody Kansas; both southerners and northerners poured into Kansas to vote to make Kansas slave/free sate - John Brown was the one who started "Bloody Kansas"

Civil War (1861-1865)
Participation of blacks in the army - many hoped for emancipation as a reward - by proclaiming Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln was able to gather more blacks into his side.

1863: Emancipation Proclamation - applied to all areas still in the Confederacy - turned the war into moral cause - border states were exempted from this - did not have a real effect in terms of antislavery; it was totally symbolic, yet powerful.

1865: adoption of the Thirteenth Amendment - 4 million slaves in the border states and Confederate states were freed. - paved the way for more Amendments for blacks, such as the 14th and 15th Amendments, which gave citizenship and voting rights respectively..