History of Slavery in the United States

Beginnings of Slavery

• 1619: First African slaves arrived in Virginia from the ship "White Lion."
• Slavery lasted over 200 years, marked by injustice, racism, and exploitation.

Economic Context

• Agriculture: Main economic activity; tobacco was the most profitable crop with 400% profitability.
• Labor shortage led to importation of African slaves.

Slave Trade

• Source: Slaves were captured in Africa, sold by local chiefs or captured by Europeans.
• West Africa: Main source of slaves; price inflated 5-6 times in the New World.
• Major Trading Centers: New York, Boston, Charleston, New Orleans.
• Conditions on Ships: Unsanitary; high death rates (21%-65%).

Legalization and Regulation of Slavery

• Legalization: Massachusetts (1641), Virginia (1661), Maryland (1664), New Jersey (1704).
• Racial Laws: Structured to maintain distinctions between white servants and black slaves.

Conditions for Slaves

• Punishment: Physical violence, torture, and executions were common.
• Work: Harsh conditions, long hours (14-18 hours/day), severe punishments for rest.
• Life Expectancy: Average working life span was 7-10 years.

Slave Resistance

• Forms of Protest: Escape, slow labor, armed resistance.
• Rebellions: Notable uprisings in New York (1712), Stono (1739), and Nat Turner's rebellion in Virginia (1831).

Slavery in an Independent US

• Declaration of Independence: Did not emancipate slaves despite democratic principles.
• Invention of Cotton Gin (1793): Increased profitability of slave labor for cotton processing.
• Northern Abolition: Gradual abolition across northern states, starting with Vermont (1770).

19th Century Developments

• Aggravation: New laws restricted rights; slaves forbidden to read/write.
• Missouri Compromise (1820): Admitted Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state.
• Fugitive Slave Act (1850): Mandated the return of escaped slaves.

Abolitionist Movement

• Abolitionists: Published literature, organized escapes, and established the "underground railway."
• Free African Americans: Helped establish Liberia as a settlement for freed slaves.

Civil War and End of Slavery

• Civil War (1861-1865): Conflict between North and South over slavery.
• 13th Amendment (1865): Abolished slavery in the United States.

Conclusions

• Slavery was deeply entrenched, economically beneficial to slave-owners but morally indefensible.
• Lasting impact on American society, only resolved through the Civil War and legal abolition.