The Need for Slavery in the Colonies
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The Need for Slavery in the Colonies
Farming, sewing, and taking care of livestock were just a few responsibilities that were left to slaves during the 1600s. White families received all of the benefits from the work done, yet they rarely had to lift a finger, unless it was to correct a slave. Todays generation reads about slavery and regards it as morally wrong. While I agree that slavery was one of Americas greatest wrongdoings, it paved the way for America as we know it today.
One of the largest uses of slave labor was in the southern plantations. Virginias economy depended greatly on the production of tobacco. However, the problem being that tobacco plants required thousands of workers to produce the extensive amount that was being exported . Without the use of slave labor, there would not have been enough man power to fuel the plantations.
Virginia was not the only colony in need of help on the plantations. Rice plantations in the Carolinas became a cash crop in the early 1690s. However, slaves were not first to work on the rice plantations; white indentured servants were. The servants did not last long because of the malaria carrying mosquitoes that infested the swamps, and African Americans were soon enlisted as slaves to work the plantation .
The plantation owners saw two advantages to having African American slaves as opposed to the white servants. Some African Americans came to the colonies already in possession of the skills needed to cultivate rice, and they could teach these skills to their masters. The second reason was that Africans tended to be immune to malaria and yellow fever, both of which existed heavily in the marshes2. Requiring slaves to cultivate the marshes made for a more efficient way to produce the rice.
Plantations did not always start out with the availability to produce crops. It took a lot of manpower and time to get the land into shape. Slaves were brought into the plantations when it was just deserted land, and forced to chop down trees, cultivate the land, and build manmade water canals. The best example we can see of this is the “Carolina Rice Plantation.” Hiring the slaves to do these jobs made the land more valuable in the long run.
There were other advantages to slavery in the 1600 and 1700s other than working on the plantations. Once the slave trade started, slavery became a hereditary “disease.” If a slave bore a child, that child was automatically forced into slavery for the rest of his or her life. This led to generations upon generations of slaves, and a plentiful investment for their masters.
While indentured servants were cheaper than slaves, slaves were the property of the master for life, rather than just five years. Servants were treated even worse for this reason, but slaves were not treated much better. The master did not have to pay for much once the slave was purchased, except for a small ration of food everyday, and thin cloth for the slave to wear .
Although the slaves were treated poorly, they had a responsibility to be loyal to their masters. In “A True and Exact History of the Island of Barbadoes,” Richard Ligon describes the treatment of slaves and servants.