Overview
This lecture covers the causes and effects of slavery in the British North American colonies, focusing on how slavery shaped colonial society, legal codes, and resistance by enslaved Africans.
Causes of Slavery in the British Colonies
- The Atlantic slave trade brought around 3 million captive Africans to British colonies in North America and the Caribbean.
- Increased demand for agricultural goods and a shortage of indentured servants led to higher demand for enslaved labor.
- Bacon's Rebellion (1676) made colonial elites turn to African slavery to avoid future alliances between servants and enslaved people.
Distribution and Nature of Slavery
- New England had smaller farms and fewer enslaved Africans, often as household servants or skilled laborers.
- Middle colonies (e.g., New York, New Jersey) used enslaved people as both agricultural and household workers.
- Port cities like New York had significant enslaved populations working in trades and shipping.
- Southern colonies and the British West Indies had the highest concentrations of enslaved people due to plantation agriculture.
Chattel Slavery and Legal Codes
- Chattel slavery defined enslaved Africans as property, not people.
- Slave laws in Virginia, modeled after Barbados, made slavery hereditary and permanent.
- Laws allowed owners to kill enslaved people for defiance and prohibited black people from owning weapons or leaving plantations.
- Interracial relationships were made illegal to enforce racial boundaries.
Slave Resistance
- Enslaved Africans resisted through covert means: maintaining cultural practices, belief systems, languages, and sabotaging work.
- Overt resistance included armed rebellions such as the Stono Rebellion (1739) in South Carolina.
- The Stono Rebellion involved enslaved people killing whites, burning plantations, and ultimately being suppressed by militia.
- Slave resistance challenged the narrative of benevolent slaveholders.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Atlantic Slave Trade — the forced transportation of Africans to the Americas for labor.
- Chattel Slavery — a system where people are treated as property to be bought, sold, and inherited.
- Bacon's Rebellion — 1676 uprising involving indentured servants and enslaved people against Virginia's governor.
- Stono Rebellion — a 1739 slave uprising in South Carolina.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Download and review the unit packet for AP US History Unit 2, Topic 6.