Slavery

6 Pages 1583 Words

Origins of Slavery in the New America
The institution of slavery is dated back to the beginning of mankind. Many nations and empires were built by the muscles of slaves, including the foundation of America. Many people believe that slavery was a racist act against African Americans; however that couldn’t be more of a false statement. As the new American colonies were developing, many plantation owners needed help as their estates grew in size. Numerous plantation owners started looking for laborers who could help them with their large estates. These laborers were called indentured servants. In fact, the first indentured servants were usually poor white English people who were willing to work for a “master” that paid for their passage to the new world. The first black servants didn’t show up in the new world until 1619, two years after the first export of tobacco to England. The era of slavery was not started because of a prejudice against blacks but because of the need for laborers in the new developing colonies of America.
In Handlin’s article, “Origins of the Southern Labor System”, “An examination of the condition and status of seventeenth-century labor will show that slavery was not there from the start, that it was not simply imitated from elsewhere, and that it was not a response to any unique qualities in the Negro himself. It emerged rather from the adjustment to American conditions of traditional European institutions.”(Handlin, pg. 199). Handlin agrees that the theory of slavery was started as a prejudice against African Americans. Handlin believes that slavery was happening because of the need for labors to work on the large plantations in the new colonies of America.
Many colonists were struggling to find ways to make money. As colonists were looking for various ways to earn money, many began to grow a variety of crops including tobacco. This popular item spread rapidly, earning farmers...