Essay Sample About Colonial Era, What Led to the Expansion and Development of Slavery

During the period of 1607 to 1750, the institution of slavery developed and expanded rapidly in America. As colonists sought to increase their production and income, the idea of slavery came as a solution. Consequently, racism developed in the colonies. Despite the widespread belief that slavery in America was caused by racism, slavery emerged as a result of three main factors. These factors include the colonist’s desire to make more profit, laws that established racial hierarchy, and the end of indentured servitude. 

The desire for money and wealth were major factors as slavery grew and developed in America. It is evident that in 1607 when 104 English men arrived in Jamestown, Virginia,  they were driven by money and profit. In 1612 the Jamestown colony began growing the first cash crop, tobacco. Throughout the 17th century, the Southern colonies started growing a wide variety of cash crops like rice and cotton. Growing these profitable crops was very labor intensive so the colonists would eventually turn to a cheaper method of acquiring many workers. They turned to the slave trade as a labor source. In 1619, African slaves brought to Virginia were classified as indentured servants. They were given the same opportunities to freedom as whites as there were no slave laws in place yet but this would change over time as laws would be set into place. As the slave trade expanded, Massuchuttes decided to build the first colonial slave-trading ship in 1636. They would be able to get involved in the ample profitability of the slave trade. The popularity of cash crops like sugar and tobacco in Europe, lead to an increase in the slave trade, and the colonies sought to meet the demand for their products. 

During this time period, many laws were passed to establish a division between English and African settlers. At first, many black indentured servants had the opportunity to work for their freedom. In fact, an African man named Anthony Johnson who was captured and brought to colonial America had done this. He owned land, property and was respected in his community. However, shortly after his death in 1670, many things had changed and his property and land were taken away. Six years before Johnson’s death, lifelong servitude was mandated in many colonies such as New York, New Jersey, the Carolinas, and Virginia. Slowly, the rights of black people in the colonies were stripped away. In 1669 the act of killing slaves became legalized.  From being forbidden to own firearms and land to being declared taxable, black people were dehumanized, and eventually, they came to be seen as natural slaves. Under colonial law, black slaves were considered legal property. This law was passed in 1705 and marked the establishment of a legal system that discriminated against black people. 

The end of indentured servitude also had a major impact on the expansion of slavery in colonial America. The end of indentured servitude was sparked by Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676.  In 1676, Nathaniel Bacon assembled a troop of white and black men to fight against the Virginian government. Both white colonists and black colonists found themselves in similar situations facing similar challenges so they came together to fight for the same cause. They were able to set fire to Jamestown and drive the governor out of power. The governing class was alarmed by the ability of white and black lower classes to unite themselves and overthrow the government. Seeing this happen, they decided it was best to reduce the power of the lower classes by dividing them up by race. Colonists of European descent were given rights that were denied to African colonists.  As the number of indentured servants in America decreased significantly the number of enslaved Africans also significantly increased. Switching from indentured servitude to slavery was beneficial because slavery was a permanent labor source.

As you can see, the three main factors contributing to the expansion of slavery were the colonist’s desire for profit, the power of the upper classes, and the end of indentured servitude. These three things had major impacts on slavery in America. The population of slaves in the colonies would continue to grow throughout the colonial era. However, after the Revolutionary War, resistance to slavery began to build and many states in the north would ban slavery. Although there would be many events that would shape the United States into what it is today, there is no doubt that slavery had a profound effect on colonial America and what would grow into the United States.