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century. Agriculture was not an important part of the Northern economy, on the other
hand, cultivation was the main factor of Southern economy. The southern colonies
required more slaves than north colonies. Therefore, the agricultural economy brought a
massive amount of slaves into the new world. The colonies required slave codes to
patrol a large number of slaves. The slave’s lifestyle, work, laws, and treatment of
slavery varied in each colony. The boundary of freedom boost the slaves to escape
from the slavery. This chaos between the government and slaves made a various
impact on the society. Even Though all colonies had slavery institution, the slave
system of Carolina was more brutal than the northern colonies, consequently, the
There were three main slave systems existed in three different parts of the
American colonies. The three systems were tobacco based plantation slavery in the
Chesapeake, the rice based plantation slavery system in South Carolina and Georgia,
and non plantation slavery in the New England and middle colonies (Foner,136). The
whites settled in southern colonies for economic benefits. The economy of Georgia and
South Carolina was based on rice and indigo production (Foner,138). Both rice and
Africans were more familiar with crop plantation in Africa, so They shared the
rice plantation helped English settlers to expand the plantation. Therefore, South
Carolina became the first black majority mainland colony in America and in 1730,
two-thirds of Carolina's population were slaves (Foner,138). The massive workforce and
Consequently, Carolina landowners became the wealthiest slave owning class in North
America (Foner,138). On the other hand, north colonies not required the large slave
workforce for their economy. The Northern system was not mainly focused on any
plantation. In the north, slaves worked on small farms, in artisan shops, as stevedores
northern colonies.
Slavery in the Colonial America
3
Carolina, slaves lived on very large plantations as groups. Which helped them to live as
a family and create an African based culture (Foner,142). The painting of John Rose
shows the celebration of large plantation slaves in their quarters, The slaves were
playing their traditional African musical instruments and dancing during their free time
(The Old Plantation). However, they faced more restriction and hard treatments than
other slaves in the country (Foner,142). In the north, most of the slaves lived as small
group and individual. Usually, even rich families not own more than one slave in the
north (Foner,139). Slaves were very small part of the total north population and they
lived very close to the white culture(Foner,142). Therefore there were not able to create
African based culture like southern slaves. But because of their closeness to the white
culture, they learned English quickly and enjoy more freedom than other slaves in the
country(Foner,142).
(Foner,142). The slaves always monitored by overseers in the large plantation. The
visual image “An Overseer Doing His Duty” shows the visual of the well-dressed
overseer watching the two female slave’s work in the fields(An Overseer Doing His
Duty). The title of this picture was satire because in this picture women slaves were
working hard while white man enjoys his time by smoking. This image shows how the
Slaves always worked as groups under the supervision of overseer on the large
plantation. On the other hand, in north slaves worked like other usual servants.The
Slavery in the Colonial America
4
north slaves did not have any overseer to check their work. In north colonies, Slaves
had a better humane environment and good relationship between the masters than the
south. Slaves had more freedom while working in the north than large Carolina
plantation.
All colonies had separate slave codes to manage the rights of slaves and their
owners. Slave laws placed harsh restrictions on slaves and gave slave owners full
power over their slaves. These laws were used to manage the rights of slaves and also
prevent rebellion and escape of slaves. In the chapter 3 lecture, Eric Foner states that
“ In the South, where the plantation was the basis of the economy and slaves were fifty
percent or more of the population, from Virginia southward, the law gave slaves very,
very few rights, very, very few rights. The law was meant to control, restrict, police the
slave population; very little recognition of any legal rights for the slaves.” (18th century
slaves' rights). In Carolina, state government saw the black majority as a threat to
whites.therefore, the government enact more rules to restrict the rights of blacks. The
south slaves enjoy only a few offers from the owners. Such as working under a task
system (Foner,138). This task system assigned slaves into daily jobs (Foner,138).
Completion of this task allows slaves to cultivate their own crops and provide some
leisure time (Foner,138). However, after the Stono rebellion, this offers restricted by
The northerners not considered the slaves as a threat to the society because
slaves were a small percentage of total population (Foner,139). Therefore the slave
codes of the north were less harsh than in the south. The northern slave laws
allowed slaves to testify against whites (Foner,139). Also, The slaves allowed to pass
their property to their children(Foner,139). In the chapter 3 lecture, Eric Foner states
that “ I think a slave who was accused of a crime in New England was actually entitled
to a trial by jury, which you certainly didn't have in Virginia or South Carolina. In New
York there was a tradition, although not probably in the law, that slaves sort of had a
say to whom they were sold, in other words, if you tried to sell a slave, there was a
tradition the slave could sort of veto that if they didn't want to be sold.” (18th century
slaves' rights video transcript). This statement clearly shows the humane environment of
north colonies for the slaves. The northern colonies law gave more rights to the slaves
than the south. They were still treated as slaves in the north, but they enjoyed more
In chapter 4 lecture Eric Foner argues that “The racial ideology became more
and more fixed. The idea that black meant "slave" and white meant "free" became much
more rigidly defined in the eighteenth century” (18th century slavery video transcript).
According to scholar Khalil Bibran Muhammad, the whites justify the slavery by racial
inferiority (Confronting the Contradictions of America’s Past). He also argues that the
English settlers believed that blacks were not equal to them and blacks were different
Slavery in the Colonial America
6
America’s Past). These arguments show the mindset of English settlers who supported
slavery. The slaves considered as properties of their owners, not as servant or human.
So the state government refused to provide basic legal rights to the slaves.
The cruelty of slavery mentally and physically affected the Africans. Most of them
were free people in their own country. In America, they were not treated like a human.
They considered as animals or machines that helps to produce and increase the wealth.
In Carolina, slaves did not have a good relationship with their owners. The slaves forced
to work harder without their consent. The slaves who reject to work threatened by harsh
slaves and landowners, lack of freedom prompt slaves to attempted to gain freedom by
resistances.
form of nonviolent slave resistances were running away, theft and damage owner’s
properties (Stono Rebellion and the Aftermath). The non violent resistance occurred in
all colonies. Slaves risked their life to escape from the slavery. The most known violent
resistance was armed rebellions. such as the Stono Rebellion and the New York Slave
resistance of 1712. The eighteenth century’s first slave rebellion occurred in new york
city in 1712(Foner,144). The group of slaves set fire to houses and killed first nine white
Slavery in the Colonial America
7
people who arrived at that place(Foner,144). Eventually, all of this group of slaves were
tortured, killed and burned alive in front of the public to scare other slaves.
The Stono rebellion was the largest and famous slave rebellion in American
history (Stono Rebellion and the Aftermath). It occurred in South Carolina, September
1739, group of South Carolina slaves, most of them were from Kongo and had military
experiences killed the shop owners and captured the weapons from a firearms
shop(Foner,144). They traveled to Florida to escape from the slavery because Spain
offered freedom to the slaves from British colonies(Foner,144). More slaves joined the
group and finally, the group had a total of hundred slaves (Foner,144). They burned the
houses and barns and killed whites they encountered on their route (Foner,144).
Eventually, the slaves were attacked and killed by the Carolina soldiers. Only few slaves
managed to escape from the attack (Stono Rebellion and the Aftermath). This rebellion
took lives of 200 slaves and more than 24 whites(Foner,144). The heads of rebellions
were hanged in the village of Carolina to intimidate other slaves (Stono Rebellion and
After the Stono rebellion slaveholders remained fearful that slaves would try to
rebel or escape again. The Governor of South Carolina William Bull states that all the
rebellion slaves have been killed and Executed and other captures will also be executed
soon (Stono Rebellion Report 1739). He also suggests rewarding native Americans to
capture the deserters and future runaway slaves. This “Stono Rebellion Report (1739)”
Slavery in the Colonial America
8
clearly shows the motive of the governor that the escapees need hard punishments or
After the Stono rebellion, The Carolina state government quickly passed the negro
act of 1740 to prevent the future rebellion (Stono Rebellion and the Aftermath). These
new rules restrict the rights of slaves to kept them under control. The slaves were not
allowed to grow their own food, gather as groups, and learn to write or read English
(Stono Rebellion and the Aftermath). Some of these restrictions enact before the
rebellion, but after the Stono rebellion, these rules were strictly followed by the police
and slave owners (Stono Rebellion and the Aftermath). The Carolina government
banned slaves to gather as groups to restrict the slaves to access information about
other slaves to avoid possible rebellions. The state banned slaves to learn read and
write, because they feared that if slaves learned about freedom and human rights it can
cause slaves to fight against slavery. Another important rule is slaves required passes
from his owner to leave the plantation(Stono Rebellion and the Aftermath). The slaves
who leave without a pass from his master were captured and punished harshly by the
American slaves were not able to successfully overthrow the system of slavery
in the colonies by rebellions.The Stono rebellion does not succeed to gain the freedom
from slavery, instead, It made their condition even worst in the Carolina. The Carolina
state plucked more rights from the slaves to kept them under tight control. They often
Slavery in the Colonial America
9
persecuted by the police and lost their previous privileges. On the other hand, northern
colonies gave better rights to slaves than the south. Because most of the northerners
not required slaves for their economy and not seen them as a threat. Even most of the
northern employers believed relying on wage labor is better than long term investment
in slaves for their economy (Foner,140). So most of the northerners support the
freedom of slaves. In conclusion, Based on the slave’s rights, lifestyle and treatment,
Carolina had the most brutal system and North colonies had the least brutal system of
Bibliography
Documentary:
Foner, Give Me Liberty: An American History, Fourth Edition Chapter 4, Slavery, Freedom, and
the Struggle for Empire, to 1763
Credit: Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Williamsburg, VA
Foner, Give Me Liberty: An American History, Fourth Edition Chapter 4, Slavery, Freedom, and
the Struggle for Empire, to 1763
Foner, Give Me Liberty: An American History, Fourth Edition Chapter 4, Slavery, Freedom, and
the Struggle for Empire, to 1763
Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History. 4th ed. Vol. 1. New York & London:
W.W. Norton & Company, 2014. Print. Seagull Fourth Edition