Why did a Slave society develop
in colonial Virginia?
Big point!
• The shift to a slave society was not
inevitable!
The shift to a slave society was
not inevitable!
• The status of Africans in 17th century
Virginia was fluid and ambiguous until the
establishment of slave codes at the turn of
the 18th century.
Problems in Virginia
Problem #1: Land but no labor!
• Lots of land!
– Available and unused, from a English
perspective
Problems in Virginia
Problem #1: Land but no labor!
• Lots of land!
– Available and unused, from a English
perspective
– Landowning tied to idea of “independence”
• Landowners had control of their lives and livelihood
Problems in Virginia
Problem #1: Land but no labor!
• Lots of land!
– Available and unused, from a English
perspective
– Landowning was tied to idea of “independence”
• Landowners had control of their lives and livelihood
– Landlessness equated to “dependence”
• A tenant was subject to the landlord
Problem #2: Profitable
commodity but no labor
• Plenty of land to grow tobacco and plenty
of demand in Europe
Problem #2: Profitable
commodity but no labor
• Plenty of land to grow tobacco and plenty
of demand in Europe
– Demand pushed production
• 60,000 lbs., in 1620
• 35 million lbs., in 1700
Tobacco’s popularity exacerbated
the labor shortage
Tobacco’s popularity exacerbated
the labor shortage
• Labor intensive crop
Tobacco’s popularity exacerbated
the labor shortage
• Labor intensive crop
• Many tedious,
relatively unskilled,
steps
–
–
–
–
–
Planting
Tending
Harvesting
Drying
Packing
Lots of land, profitable crop, but
who’s going to work it?
• How about using Indians?
– The Spanish did!
Lots of land, but who’s going to
work it?
• Indians?
– The Spanish did!
• Didn’t work in Virginia
Lots of land, but who’s going to
work it?
• Indians?
– The Spanish did!
• Didn’t work in Virginia
– Could easily run away, knew the land
Lots of land, but who’s going to
work it?
• Indians?
– The Spanish did!
• Didn’t work in Virginia
– Could easily run away, knew the land
– Had “military” backing, support of allies
Lots of land, but who’s going to
work it?
• Indians?
– The Spanish did!
• Didn’t work in Virginia
– Could easily run away, knew the land
– Had “military” backing, support of allies
– Had suffered depopulation
Lots of land, but who’s going to
work it?
• Indians?
– The Spanish did!
• Didn’t work in Virginia
–
–
–
–
Could easily run away, knew the land
Had “military” backing, support of allies
Had suffered depopulation
Too dispersed
• No encomiendas in British America
A solution:
Indentured Servants
Indentured servants
• An indenture, or
contract, to labor in
exchange for passage
to America.
Indentured servants
• An indenture, or
contract, to labor in
exchange for passage
to America.
• Terms ranged from
four to seven years
Indentured servants
• An indenture, or
contract, to labor in
exchange for passage
to America.
• Terms ranged from
four to seven years
• Few rights, often cruel
treatment
• Why would anyone do this?
• Why would anyone do this?
• To escape poverty in England!
Domestic problems in England
• Population growth
Domestic problems in England
• Population growth
• Eviction of tenant farmers
Domestic problems in England
• Population growth
• Eviction of tenant farmers
• Growing poverty and pressure on English
cities
Opportunity for aspiring
aristocrats
• Headright system
Opportunity for aspiring
aristocrats
• Headright system
– 50 acres of land for passage of laborer
Opportunity for aspiring
aristocrats
• Headright system
– 50 acres of land for passage of laborer
– Often times ship’s captains transported
potential servants and sold them upon arrival
Keeping up with the Byrds
• William Byrd I
– To Virginia, 1670
Keeping up with the Byrds
• William Byrd I
– To Virginia, 1670
– Grandfather, a ship’s
captain
Keeping up with the Byrds
• William Byrd I
– To Virginia, 1670
– Grandfather, a ship’s
captain
– Collected a substantial
amount of “good” land
in Virginia through
headrights
“Good” land went quickly
• Wealthy able to grab
up land along
waterways
“Good” land went quickly
• Wealthy able to grab
up land along
waterways
• The Byrds’ land was
along the James and
Potomac rivers
“Good” land went quickly
• Wealthy able to grab
up land along
waterways
• The Byrds’ land was
along the James and
Potomac rivers
• Advantage to wealthy
But while everything was coming
up tobacco, it was not coming up
roses!
• Problems with indentured servants
Problems with indentured
servants
• Runaways
Problems with indentured
servants
• Runaways
• Rights of Englishmen
limited control by
masters
Problems with indentured
servants
• Runaways
• Rights of Englishmen
limited control by
masters
• Frustration upon
completion of
indenture
Frustration upon completion of
indenture
• Little “good” land available
– Distant from waterways
– On fringe of English settlement
Moving toward African slavery
• Precedent in Latin
America
Moving toward African slavery
• Precedent in Latin
America
– Caribbean, Brazil
Moving toward African slavery
• First African slaves to
Jamestown, 1619
African slavery
• Very limited for most of the 17th century
African slavery
• Very limited for most of the 17th century
– More expensive than servants
• Perpetual servitude
African slavery
• Very limited for most of the 17th century
– High mortality among field hands
• Rigors of work, disease
• Slavery was a bad investment
African slavery: not a foregone
conclusion
• Up until the last decades of the 17th
century, black status in Virginia was fluid.
African slavery: not a foregone
conclusion
• Up until the last decades of the 17th
century, black status in Virginia was fluid
– Free blacks, some who owned servants!
African slavery: not a foregone
conclusion
• Up until the last decades of the 17th
century, black status in Virginia was fluid
– Free blacks, some who owned servants!
– Black indentured servants
African slavery: not a foregone
conclusion
• Up until the last decades of the 17th
century, black status in Virginia was fluid
– Free blacks, some who owned servants!
– Black indentured servants
– Black slaves
Over time, slavery began to make
economic sense
• Increased longevity in
colony
Over time, slavery began to make
economic sense
• Increased longevity in
colony
– Slavery began to make
sense economically
Over time, slavery began to make
economic sense
• Increased longevity in
colony
– Slavery began to make
sense economically
• Decreased supply of white
servants
Over time, slavery began to make
economic sense
• Increased longevity in
colony
– Slavery began to make
sense economically
• Decreased supply of white
servants
– Improved conditions in
England
Over time, slavery began to make
economic sense
• Increased longevity in
colony
– Slavery began to make
sense economically
• Decreased supply of white
servants
– Improved conditions in
England
– Other colonies
(Pennsylvania, 1681)
Over time, slavery began to make
economic sense
• Increased frustration
of former servants
– Slaves never became
free!
When and why race-based
slavery?
• Historians tend to agree that:
– Indentured servitude as a model
When and why race-based
slavery?
• Historians tend to agree that:
– Indentured servitude as a model
– Latin America as a model
When and why race-based
slavery?
• Historians tend to agree that:
– Indentured servitude as a model
– Latin America as a model
– Economic necessity
When and why race-based
slavery?
• Historians tend to agree that:
–
–
–
–
Indentured servitude as a model
Latin America as a model
Economic necessity
African vulnerability in Virginia
• No rights, no support
When and why race-based
slavery?
• Winthrop Jordan:
prejudice/racism led to
slavery
– English pre-disposition
toward Africans
• Negation of white
When and why race-based
slavery?
• Winthrop Jordan:
prejudice/racism led to
slavery
– English pre-disposition
toward Africans
• Negation of white
• Deficient in religion
and culture
When and why race-based
slavery?
• Winthrop Jordan:
prejudice/racism led to
slavery
– English pre-disposition
toward Africans
• Negation of white
• Deficient in religion
and culture
– Stereotype: Africans
inferior, less than
human
Evidence:
De facto slavery, 1619-1660
• 1640, runaway servants
– Severity of punishment based on race
• 1646, bill of sale
– term of service for “Negros” is “forever”
• 1648, bill of sale
– Black “servants” more expensive
• 1660, slave code
– Blacks legally defined as slaves
When and why race-based
slavery?
• Jordan:
– Legally defined by the 1660s
– Original English prejudice reinforced and
bolstered by economic need and legal
definitions. Slavery by custom became slavery
by law.
When and why race-based
slavery?
• Edmund Morgan:
slavery led to
prejudice/racism
– Status of blacks
ambiguous until late
17th century
– Lower class whites and
blacks enjoyed same
rights
Black status ambiguous, fluid
•
•
•
•
Could own property
Could sue, testify against, whites
Could own servants
Class, not race, divided 17th century
Virginia
When and why race-based
slavery?
• Morgan:
– A calculated strategy by elite plantation owners
to divide the lower class by promoting white
supremacy and black inferiority
When and why race-based
slavery?
• Morgan:
– A calculated strategy by elite plantation owners to
divide the lower class by promoting white supremacy
and black inferiority
– An effort to quell the growing unruliness of frustrated
former servants as illustrated by Bacon’s Rebellion in
1676.
Slavery supported legally and
socially by 1700
• Africans equated with
slavery
Slavery supported legally and
socially by 1700
• Africans equated with
slavery
– Manumission limited
Slavery supported legally and
socially by 1700
• Africans equated with
slavery
– Slavery and racism
reinforced each other
• blacks are slaves so
must be inferior, since
they are inferior, it is
proper that they be
slaves