4.1 Historical context of slavery in America

Slavery shaped America's early history, driving economic growth but inflicting immense suffering. The transatlantic slave trade brought millions of Africans to the Americas, fueling plantation economies and entrenching racial hierarchies.

Despite brutal oppression, enslaved people resisted through various means. They preserved cultural traditions, attempted escapes, and staged rebellions. This resistance laid groundwork for later civil rights movements and influenced American culture.

Slavery in Colonial America

Origins of Transatlantic Slave Trade

Top images from around the web for Origins of Transatlantic Slave Trade

• 

  The 1619 Project - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  File:African slave trade.png - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  West Africa and the Role of Slavery | United States History 1 (OS Collection) View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  The 1619 Project - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  File:African slave trade.png - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

Top images from around the web for Origins of Transatlantic Slave Trade

• 

  The 1619 Project - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  File:African slave trade.png - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  West Africa and the Role of Slavery | United States History 1 (OS Collection) View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  The 1619 Project - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

• 

  File:African slave trade.png - Wikipedia View original

  Is this image relevant?

1 of 3

• Transatlantic slave trade commenced in the 16th century
• First enslaved Africans arrived in Americas in 1619 to English colony of Virginia
• Indentured servitude initially coexisted with slavery in American colonies
  • Gradually shifted to race-based chattel slavery by late 17th century
• Development of cash crops increased demand for slave labor
  • Expanded slave trade to support cultivation of tobacco, rice, and cotton in Southern colonies

Constitutional Compromises and Expansion

• American Revolution and subsequent Constitution initially protected institution of slavery
  • Three-Fifths Clause counted enslaved persons as 3/5 of a person for representation
  • Fugitive Slave Clause required return of escaped slaves to their owners
• Cotton gin invention in 1793 revitalized slavery in the South
  • Led to rapid expansion of slavery in early 19th century
• Missouri Compromise of 1820 attempted to maintain balance between slave and free states
  • Admitted Missouri as slave state and Maine as free state
  • Prohibited slavery north of 36°30' parallel in Louisiana Territory
• Compromise of 1850 further attempted to address slavery issue
  • Admitted California as free state
  • Implemented stricter Fugitive Slave Law
  • Ultimately failed to prevent Civil War

Factors in Slavery's Growth

Economic Drivers

• Plantation economy in Southern United States relied heavily on slave labor
  • Cultivation of cash crops, particularly cotton ("King Cotton")
• Domestic slave trade became significant economic force in early 19th century
  • Involved forced migration of enslaved people from Upper South to Deep South
  • Created internal market for buying and selling enslaved individuals
• Cotton production increased dramatically with slave labor
  • 1790: 3,000 bales produced
  • 1860: 3.8 million bales produced

Social and Political Factors

• Social hierarchies in South built around institution of slavery
  • Wealthy plantation owners formed elite class
  • Poor whites maintained status through racial superiority over enslaved blacks
• White supremacy used to justify and maintain slave system
  • Pseudoscientific theories of racial difference gained prominence in 19th century (phrenology, polygenesis)
• Political compromises preserved institution of slavery
  • Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 required Northern states to assist in capture and return of escaped slaves
• Pro-slavery arguments defended institution against growing abolitionist sentiment
  • "Positive good" theory advanced by John C. Calhoun claimed slavery benefited both enslaved and enslavers

Impact of Slavery on Africans

Physical and Psychological Trauma

• Enslaved individuals experienced severe physical abuse
  • Whippings, brandings, and other forms of corporal punishment
• Psychological trauma from constant surveillance and control by slaveholders
  • Created atmosphere of fear and uncertainty
• Separation from family members caused emotional distress
  • Families often broken up through sale of individuals
• Slave codes severely restricted rights and freedoms
  • Prohibited education, property ownership, and freedom of movement
  • Varied by state but generally denied basic human rights

Cultural Adaptations and Health Challenges

• Rich cultural traditions developed despite legal restrictions
  • Music (spirituals, work songs)
  • Storytelling (oral traditions, folktales)
  • Religious practices blended African and American influences (Ring Shout, Hoodoo)
• Significant health challenges due to poor living conditions
  • Inadequate nutrition led to diseases like pellagra and beriberi
  • Lack of medical care resulted in higher mortality rates
  • Shorter life expectancies compared to white population
• Long-lasting effects on family structures and gender roles
  • Disruption of traditional African family patterns
  • Matrifocal family structures often emerged as adaptation

Resistance to Slavery

Individual Acts and Escapes

• Work slowdowns and sabotage as forms of everyday resistance
  • Feigning illness to avoid work
  • Damaging tools and equipment to slow production
• Theft of food and resources from slaveholders
  • Supplemented meager rations provided to enslaved individuals
• Escape attempts facilitated by Underground Railroad
  • Network of secret routes and safe houses
  • Thousands fled to free states or Canada
  • Notable conductors included Harriet Tubman and William Still

Collective Resistance and Cultural Preservation

• Slave rebellions posed direct challenges to slave system
  • Gabriel's Rebellion (1800) in Virginia
  • German Coast Uprising (1811) in Louisiana
  • Nat Turner's Rebellion (1831) in Virginia
• Cultural resistance through preservation of African traditions
  • Development of coded language and songs
  • Practice of African-influenced religious beliefs (Vodou, Santería)
• Pursuit of literacy as form of resistance and empowerment
  • Frederick Douglass learned to read in secret
  • Enslaved preachers often became community leaders
• Legal challenges through freedom suits
  • Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) case reached Supreme Court
• Creation of maroon communities in remote areas
  • Great Dismal Swamp in Virginia and North Carolina
  • Provided alternative to plantation life and base for further resistance