Cameron Whetstone Prompt 2 Write an essay that comprehensively explains and assesses the evolution of American slavery by discussing: 1) the development and evolution of slavery in British North America from the early 17th century to the middle of the 18th century, 2) the ways slavery differed by region in North America, 3) and the emergence of a distinctive African American culture by the middle of the 18th century. Be sure to use specific examples from chapters 1-4 in the textbook, from the relevant focus question sections, and also from the Weekly Module pages and relevant videos, to support your essay. The development of slavery in British North America started in the early 17th century and lasted until the middle of the 18th century. It wasn’t hard for the English to enslave Africans because they viewed people of different races as “disdain” and even referred to them as things similar to “savage”, “pagan”, and “uncivilized” (Give Me Liberty! p. 98). So the english transported Africans from Africa unto North America in an attempt to abuse free labor to progress the colonization of the new land. In this essay, I will go over the start of slavery and how it evolved, how slavery differed by region in North America, and the emergence of a distinctive African American culture by the middle of the 18th century. When african slaves were brought over from another continent, it was mainly for the purpose of using them at plantations. On these agricultural plantations, the number of slaves greatly outnumbered the owner and this led to the English integrating a more serious policing system to mitigate slave resistance (Give Me Liberty! p. 99). Death rates were high for slaves, especially under the conditions of the adapting society in North America. As conditions began to improve between 1680 and 1700, the death rate began decreasing (Give Me Liberty! p.104). This led to the slave trade market becoming more popular and the population of african slaves in North America becoming much more abundant. The economic wealth of the english in North America was improving fast. In the 18th century, the rising demand of products like sugar, rice, tobacco, and coffee, only led to the demand of more slaves (Give Me Liberty! p.134). This only fueled the atlantic slave trade and thus the population of African slaves in North America was greatly increasing. As the population of slaves were growing some states and regions decided to make changes in the law to set some things straight. Virginia passed new laws stating that these slaves were officially property of their owners and that they had no rights to freedom. In the book “Give Me Liberty” Eric Foner says this about the law changes in Virginia, “By 1700, blacks constituted more than 10 percent of Virginia’s population. Fifty years later, they made up nearly half. Recognizing the growing importance of slavery, the House of Burgesses in 1705 enacted a new slave code, bringing together the scattered legislation of the previous century and adding new provisions that embedded the principle of white supremacy in the law.” (Give Me Liberty! p.105). This changed slavery and the life of a slave in Virginia. The way slaves were treated was bad before these laws, but having it written in the law didn’t make it any better. Foner writes this about what changed for slaves after this, “They could be bought and sold, leased, fought over in court, and passed on to one’s descendants. Henceforth, blacks and whites were tried in separate courts. No black, free or slave, could own arms, strike a white man, or employ a white servant. Any white person could apprehend any black to demand a certificate of freedom or a pass from the owner giving permission to be off the plantation.” (Give Me Liberty! p.105). In the North, the life of a slave was entirely different. Slavery was far less vital to the economy in the regions of New England and the middle colonies where much smaller farms were much more common (Give Me Liberty! p.142). Although salvery still played a part in these regions, it was far less abundant and the slave to owner ratio was much smaller. This meant that the English were less intimidated which led to laws that weren't quite as harsh as the ones more down south. In “Give Me Liberty!” Foner writes this about slaves rights in the northern region of North America, “slave marriages were recognized in law, the severe physical punishment of slaves was prohibited, and slaves could bring suits in court, testify against whites, and own property and pass it on to their children.” (Give Me Liberty! p.142). Over the years more and more Africans were being transported to North America and being turned into slaves. Nearly 300,000 in the 18th century, to be more specific. With all these people going through the same experiences, naturally there was a bond that was formed. Although different regions moved at different paces, it was in the 18th century when the bond that was created started turning into a culture. As more and more slaves were being born in new America, the population of African Americans began outgrowing the population of Africans in America. Around the mid-18th century African American cultures had become more distinct and three slave systems in British North America had become more recognizable and well-known (Give Me Liberty! p.145). As slaves began to feel a sense of unity, they began to work together in fighting back against the ways of English slave owner ways. Slave uprisings started happening in the early 18th century and although they didn’t happen often at first, they started becoming more common throughout the 18th century. The slaves that fought back were punished in an attempt to scare future attempts, but the bond and culture of the African Americans was strong and persistent and the uprisings continued. In this essay, I went over the start of slavery and how it evolved, how slavery differed by region in North America, and the emergence of a distinctive African American culture by the middle of the 18th century. So much was going on in the 17th and 18th century that I only scratched the surface of events of even just one topic (slavery). But after researching and writing about the evolution of American slavery, I have been able to obtain a better understanding of the sequence of events that went down in this time.
