REFORM MOVEMENTS OF THE 1800S

Arrival of Slaves in America Vocabulary: middle passage African slaves were first brought to America in the early 1600s. The first slaves were kidnapped from the coast of west Africa. Their journey was known as the Middle Passage. Hundreds of slaves were crowded onto ships with little to eat and drink and almost no room to move. It is believed that up to 20% of slaves died during the trip from hunger and disease.

Field Slaves vs. House Slaves Field slaves worked in the plantation fields. They were used to plant and harvest cotton, sugar, rice, and tobacco. They lived in shacks at the back of the plantation. Often, their hands or legs would be shackled when they walked to the fields to prevent them from escaping. Many slaves sang religious folk songs called spirituals while they were working in the fields.

A house slave was a slave who worked and often lived in the house of the slave owner commonly known as the master. House slaves had many duties such as cooking, cleaning, serving meals and caring for children. In the South, states passed laws called slave codes. These laws prohibited slaves from learning how to read or write, and to be able to meet in large groups. It also required slaves to obtain written permission to leave the plantation to visit other family members.

Slave Auctions Although the importation of slaves was banned in 1808, slavery continued to exist. Plantation owners who needed extra money would auction their slaves in slave markets. Often families would be broken up when parents and children were sold to different owners. Slaves could be bought and sold at any time.

The Abolition Movement Vocabulary: abolish, industry Although slavery existed throughout the United States at first, Northern states began to abolish slavery in the beginning of the 1800s. The North’s economy was based on industry so they hired workers instead of using slaves. The economy of the South was based on agriculture and depended on slave labor.

By the 1820s, both white and black abolitionists began to work to end slavery. There were two major points of view that abolitionists had: 1. Some believed in gradual emancipation. This theory called for freeing slaves one state at a time, rather than calling for a national law to end slavery. 2. Some wanted to resettle slaves in a colony in West Africa called Liberia. This did not really eliminate slavery. It just encouraged slaves to leave the United States and live somewhere else.