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Slavery in the Colonial America


Slavery existed in all the Britain's mainland colonies in the mid-eighteenth

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

slaves showed their opposition to slavery by resistances.


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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

indigo require large-scale cultivation and massive workforce to cultivate (Foner,138).

Africans were more familiar with crop plantation in Africa, so They shared the

knowledge of rice cultivation with English settlers(Foner,138). Slave's experience about

rice plantation helped English settlers to expand the plantation. Therefore, South

Carolinian planters began to import a large number of Africans. As a result, 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

slave’s knowledge of crop cultivation increased the profit of Carolina's plantation.

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

and as personal servants(Foner,139). So slaves remained as a minority group in

northern colonies.
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The slaves experienced different lifestyle and liberties in each colony. In

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).

Slaves faced harsher treatment on larger plantations than in the north

(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
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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

Carolina state government (Stono Rebellion and the Aftermath) .


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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

acknowledged slave marriage, banned several types of physical punishments, and

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

freedom than other slaves in the southern colonies.

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
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species created by God to serve white men (Confronting the Contradictions of

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

punishments(Stono Rebellion and the Aftermath). This brutal relationship between

slaves and landowners, lack of freedom prompt slaves to attempted to gain freedom by

resistances.

Slaves showed their opposition to slavery by various resistance.Most common

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
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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

the Aftermath). However, none of these revolts succeeded to gain freedom.

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)”
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clearly shows the motive of the governor that the escapees need hard punishments or

execution to stop other slaves that might attempt escape.

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

police (Stono Rebellion and the Aftermath).

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
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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

slavery in the British American Colonies.


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Bibliography

Documentary:

Moyers & Company: Confronting the Contradictions of America’s Past


http://catalog.ohlone.edu:2048/login?url=http://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=2372
24&xtid=43114&loid=268184

Stono Rebellion and the Aftermath


http://catalog.ohlone.edu:2048/login?url=http://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=2372
24&xtid=43114&loid=268184

Eric Foner Transcript Videos:

18th century slaves' rights


http://wwnorton.com/common/mplay/6.6/?p=/college/history/foner4/mp4&f=question027&i=questio
n027
Eric Foner Video Transcript Chapter 3 ​Give Me Liberty!

18th century slavery


http://wwnorton.com/common/mplay/6.6/?p=/college/history/foner4/mp4&f=question028&i=questio
n028

Eric Foner Video Transcript Chapter 4 ​Give Me Liberty!

Primary Source Documents:

Stono Rebellion Report (1739)

Foner, Give Me Liberty: An American History, Fourth Edition Chapter 4, Slavery, Freedom, and
the Struggle for Empire, to 1763

The Old Plantation

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

An Overseer Doing His Duty


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Credit: Granger Collection

Foner, Give Me Liberty: An American History, Fourth Edition Chapter 4, Slavery, Freedom, and
the Struggle for Empire, to 1763

Textbook (Secondary Source):

Foner, Eric. ​Give Me Liberty! An American History​. 4th ed. Vol. 1. New York & London:
W.W. Norton & Company, 2014. Print. Seagull Fourth Edition

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