CH. 2 Development of Slavery in Mainland North America Flashcards
What did the first colonists in Jamestown think about slavery?
wasn’t on their minds
- none of early VA/MD settlers intended to import Africans for workforce
When did black slaves first start appearing in the Chesapeake Bay colonies?
middle of 17th century
- grew rapidly after 1680
- by early 1700s = over 50% of laborers in MD/VA were of African origin/enslaved
(GB)
Why did black slavery suddenly become popular in VA/MD at the beginning of the 17th century?
English landowners found it difficult to find adequate labor force to grow tobacco
- white servitude worked alongside black slavery for a while
- black labor ultimately proved more economical/had fewer problems for landowners
(WB)
Why is that black slavery in the English colonies seen as inevitable?
colonies part of growing Atlantic economic system
- economy moving towards production of staple crops for Euro market by 17th century
- economy relied on African chattel slavery to function
- MD/VA landowners just following conventional path of Atlantic colonial system
(EEM)
Why were black slaves preferred by settlers?
- could work them harder/control them more than European servants
- Africans relatively inexpensive compared to Euros (thus brought greater profits to landowners)
(CA)
Why were the English so eager to establish Atlantic economic system overseas in the first place?
second chance at rivaling Spain for international dominance
- had failed previously when searching for precious metals + finding maritime shortcut to Asia
How did English colonization start?
sponsored by domestic investors as sailors went as far as East Indies/Ottoman Empire
- Spanish success in North America in staple producing agriculture inspired English
- colonial production of staples would create favorable balance of trade
- colonists w/ money could afford to purchase imported goods from England
- England gets exclusive trade to staple crops from overseas colonies
(SCCE)
What was the main variation between the colonies?
items that were produced
- VA/MD = tobacco exclusively at first than diversified into cereal + livestock
- SC/GA = exported livestock + timber first than established rice + indigo plantations
- MS = French landowners failed to turn profit w/ rice/indigo
- Northern colonies = produced foodstuffs (fish) + very active in carrying trade
(VSMN)
What did the commodities the different colonies were producing affect?
determined size/type of labor force that colonists required
Who did the mainland colonies have close ties to?
the Caribbean
- slave ships serviced English island colonies as well as mainland
- islanders emigrated to mainland when economic opportunity seemed greater
- mainlanders especially attuned to Caribbean
(SIM)
What happened in the Caribbean Euro colonies by 1640?
transition from tobacco/cotton to sugar plantations
- English Barbados + French Martinique both made switch
- opted for African slave labor over white servants they’d been using before
- Jamaica + St. Domingue + English islands followed suit
(EOJ)
What had happened by the last quarter of the 17th century in the Caribbean?
plantation model established “next door” to mainland North America
- still growing in other colonies up/down the Atlantic rim
- led to large amount of African slaves to be be imported to mainland colonies
(SL)
How does Ira Berlin differ between societies w/ slaves vs slave societies?
societies w/ slaves = slavery just one form of labor among many
slave society = slavery stood at center of economic production
(SS)
How does Berlin group Africans/African Americans?
chronologically by set of common experiences
- charter generations (first arrivals + their children + their grandchildren)
- plantation generations (who were forced to grow great staples)
- revolutionary generations (who faced resurgent slave regime)
(CPR)
What does Ira Berlin emphasize about the time of slavery?
- overriding importance of human toil in slavery’s growth
- stresses effects of late 18th century Age of Revolution (roiled waters of American slavery
OS)
What does Berlin say was the most consistent agitator of the waters of American slavery?
constant struggle between master/slave
- struggle persisted in every locale where slavery appeared
- was major force behind changing nature of slavery as an institution + African American society
(SW)
What did the first settlers in colonial Virginia in 1607 come to be?
traders not planters
- initials investors in Virginia Company pictured warehouses filled w/ different commodities
- settlers turned to planting when they failed as traders
(IS)
What made the transition from trading to planting easy for early settlers in Virginia?
accommodating surroundings (climate/soil/running water)
Who was the first settler to successfully grow tobacco in Virginia?
John Rolfe
How was tobacco viewed at the time?
noxious weed by some but a commodity to the English
- English used it more than any other Europeans (thus brought a good price on exports)
- by 1617 = tobacco was dominant export from VA to England
(EB)
How did England at first react to the need for more labor to tend to the tobacco fields in North America?
not worried (had plenty of domestic workers)
- English society = large domestic unemployment + dec. wages + general turmoil
- resulted in primarily young men to go overseas to work tobacco fields
(ER)
How did poor white laborers get overseas to work if they couldn’t afford the trip?
made deal w/ recruiters to repay their fare through work on land
- white laborers thus came mostly as servants/apprentices
- most served 5-7 yrs as indentured servants
(WM)
What was the hope of many early English settlers when it came to finding labor to work tobacco fields?
hoped to develop good relations w/ Native Americans
- thought Natives would be open to being exposed to “English civilizing tendencies
- trade/military alliances already had formed between them
(TT)
What happened on March 1622?
Powhatan confederacy launch surprise attack on several English colonies (results in 350 English deaths)
- caused English to have disdained image of Native people of the region
- idea of enslaving them grew popular among settlers
(CI)