RiseoftheBritishColonialSlaveSystem

Theevolution/growthoftheBritishcolonialslavesystemandtheslaveeconomy
Thepresenceofracialprejudiceinthewhiteculture
Themaster/slaverelationship
LifeasaslaveHowdidtheycope?Howdidtheyseektomaintaintheirdignity?

NOTES
DOC1:JohnLok|TheSecondVoyagetoGuinea,1554
15thcentury:EuropeansdevelopedatradingrelationshipwithAfricaincludedgold,
slaves,andivory
Slaveswerefirstseenasodditiesbutsoonwereboughtaslabourerstoworkon
plantationsandshops
Asthetradeofslavesincreased,theEuropeanopinionsofAAschanged
toviewthemasinferior
ThefollowingpassagedescribescommondepictionsofAAsin16thcentury
ThepeoplethatliveinthecoastofGuineaanddifferentpartsofAfrica
wereoncecalledEthiopies,nowcalledNegroes:Beastlypeoplewithout
God,law,andreligion,orasenseofmoney.Thewereofdarkcolordue
tothesunandthewomanofLibyadidntcareformarriageorrespected
chastity
DOC2:TheImperialSlaveEconomy
ThecreationofthenewagriculturalsysteminAmericaaffectedfourcontinents
LandswereseizedfromNativeAmericansinNAandSAtoraisecrops(sugar,
tobacco).
WorkedbyslavesfromAfrica:theimpactonWestern/eastern
Africa1012milpeopledisplacedandtransplanted
Loweringpop.andloweringstandardofliving
TriggeredacommercialrevolutioninEurope
Thespiritualandculturalcostswerehigh,disruptedlives,and
encouragingtribalviolencetocontroltheslavetrade
TransformedAfricanpoliticalstructures
Inthe1660s,AAwerebeingmadeintocattle,colorwasasignofinferiority
IntheChesapeakeregion,westindies,andCarolinatheeconomywasonslave
labor
BrutalexperiencebeingaslavefromtehcaptureinAfrica,totheMiddle
Passage,andtoalifeoflaborinAmerica
SugarintheWIweretheworst:lossoflifefromdisease/oppressivelabor
Chesapeake:tobaccowaslessdemanding,lessprofitable,plantersdidnt
needtoreplacetheirlaborforceorhadtheresourcestodoso
SouthCarolina:deathratewashighandreproductionratewas
low/forcedtoimportAAforriceplantations.
Overall,Slaverywasacentralfeatureoftheirsocialandeconomicsystems
DOC3:AJournalofaVoyageMadeintheH
annibal

 AftertherestorationoftheStuartstothethroneofEnglandin1660,ajointstock
companycalledtheRoyalAfricanCOmpanycouldappear
1698establishedanetworkoftradingstationsinAfrica
1693ThomasPhillipswascommanderoftheshipHannibal
Startedwith700menthenendedupwith372
FinishedthevoyagetoBarbadosinNov1693
Showedthekingasampleoftheirgoodsandmadeanagreementwithprices
Suchasiron,cowries
LookedatKingstrunkforslaves,thesurgeonexaminedtheslavestomakesure
theywerehealthy:thenmarkedtheslavestheyhadbought:slaveswenttocarry
themtothelongboatandputtheminironstopreventmutiny
TheAAweresowillfulthattheycommittedsuicideandstarvedthemselves
Somecommanderscutthelegsoffofthemostwilfulonestoscaretherest
Icantthinkthereisanyintrinsicvalueinonecolormorethananother,notthat
whiteisanybetterthenblack,onlywethinksobecauseweareso,andareprone
tojudgefavorableinourowncase
Theyhavearmstopreventthemfromleaving,fedtwiceaday,badfoodandpoor
treatmentyettheAAswerethankful
Theydidntrebeloncetheyhittheseabecausetheydidn'tknowhowtomanage
theshipandthewhitesawardedtheAAswhoworkedintheirfavor
Mostofthemdiedofwhiteflux,mostofthemcaughtsmallpoxdidnteffect
whitemenasmuchasAAs
DOC4:SlaveryandPrejudice:AnActfortheBetterOrderandGovernmentofNegroes
andSlaves,SouthCarolina(1712)
Untiltheearly1700slegalactioninvolvingtheAAswereconcernedwiththepersonal
statusofslavesandracialprejudice
Howevertherewasafearoftheirgrowingnumberssolawswerecreatedlike
theactpassedbySCwhichwasamodelforslavetrade.
TheAAsarebeastlyinnaturemakingthemunqualifiedtobegoverned
bythelawsofthewhitesbutitisnecessaryformakinglawsthatorder
anddisciplinethem
Nomastershouldgivetheirslavesleaveatall,ifsothemasterwillbe
finedandtheslavewhippedtheycankilltheirslaveiftheydisobey
3:everymastershouldhavetheirslaveshousessearchedevery14days
4:everymasterifthehouseshouldkeepalltheirgunsanditerarmsina
privateroom
9:ifaslaveisguiltyofrobberyorlessercrimesthankilling,thejustice
willwarrantthepunishmentsendhimtoprison/death
10:GreatmischiefscausedbyAAsthefirstoffenceistobewhipped
severelyinpublic
Secondoffencehaveearcutofforbranded/threeoffencenose
slit
Fourthoffencewillsufferdeath

 DOC5:ConflictsbetweenMastersandSlaves:MarylandintheMidSeventeenthCentury
(1658)
ColonistsimposedharsherpunishmentonslavesthenwhiteservantsinMaryland
AlthoughtherewerenolimitsorlawsagainstactionsofviolencetowardsAAs,
therewerelawsagainstactsofviolencetowardswhiteservants
CourtcaseofMr.Oversee
TriedforthedeathofaAAsonhisterms
SomeofthewitnessesinformationwerealittlefalsifiedduetoMr.
Overseesinfluence
WasincreasinglyrudetowardstheAAslaveandproceededtoincrease
hisactsofviolence
DOC6:ServantsandSlavesinVirginia(1705)
Startinginthe1620sintheChesapeakeregion,theyhadahugeneedforworkersto
cultivatethelaborintensivecrop(tobacco)
Inthebeginningofthe17thcenturythiswasmetbyindenturedservants
Exservantunrest,decliningmortalityrates,andasmallerpoolofthe
povertystrickeninEngland:switchingfromservantstoslaves
Majordifferencesintreatmentcomparedtotheservants
Slaveswillbeservingforalifetime,whileservantsserveforafewyears
TheMaleServantsandtheSlavesofbothsexesareemployedtogetherinthe
fieldsdoingthesamework
Sufficientdistinctionbetweenfemaleslavesandservantsservantwomencan't
workinthegroundwhereasawomanslavecanbeworkedtodeath
Allservantscanhavecomplaintsheardwithoutafee,andmastersareexpectedto
providefortheirservants,agoodandwholesomedietalongwithlodgingand
clothing
Servantscantbeusedwhensickorill,eachservantisrewarded15.Bushelsof
cornandhasarighttotakeup50acresofland
DOC#7:TheSecretDiaryofWilliamByrdII(17091711)
WilliamByrdII(16741744)lifeasaslaveowner
Beathisslaveseveryday.Nomatterwhatthingtheyhadcommittedornot
committed(suchasrunningawayorsimplyarguing)
Forcedtodrinktheirownurineandcalledhisslaveswhores
Thesethingswereroutineforhim,almostnaturallyinhiseverydaylife
DOC#8:AEarlySlaveNarrative
Jobtheslavetellshisstory,hewasalearnedman
WasborninAfricaandlivedafulfillinglifeatfirst
JobwasforcedbyaCompanytosurrenderandwastreatedasaprisonerofwar,
althoughheinsistedhewasnt
Wasouttoworkmakingtobacco,notsetoutforit,wasmovedtostable
Waseventuallyreturnedhomeafterahorribletreatmentinamerica
DOC#9:TheStonoRiverRebellioninSouthCarolina(1739)
Blackslavestookupamajorityofthepopulationdreamedoffreedom

 In1739,alargegroupofSCslavesroseupinarmsandstruckoutforfreedom
9thdayofsept.,peoplewerekilled,beheaded,burned,stabbedbyAAs
Howevertheywerestoppedbyforcesandimmediatelyputtodeath
DOC#10:TheTransitofAfricanstotheAmericas
11millionAfricanswereenslavedandputonaboatthetheAmericasandabout1.5
millionofthemdiedonthesio
ofthemendedupinbrazilandtheywiredonsugarplantations
amillionwereinpresentdayUSAwhilemorewenttotheWestIndies