John M. Sacher University of Central Florida jsacher@mail.ucf.edu The Origins of Slavery John M. Sacher University of Central Florida jsacher@mail.ucf.edu
The American Colonies
Jamestown (1607)
John Rolfe
Harvesting Tobacco Jamestown (1650)
Bacon’s Rebellion
Virginia’s Colonial Population Black White Black % 1625 23 1,209 1.9 1649 300 15,000 2.0 1671 2,000 38,000 5.0 1700 10,000 50,000 16.7 1750 101,452 129,581 43.9
Hugh Davis (1630) Hugh Davis to be soundly whipped, before an assembly of Negroes and others for abusing himself to the dishonor of God and shame of Christians, by defiling his body in lying with a negro; which fault he is to acknowledge next Sabbath day.
Status of children (1661) WHEREAS some doubts have arisen whether children got by any Englishman upon a negro woman should be slave or free, Be it therefore enacted and declared by this present grand assembly, that all children borne in this country shall be held bond or free only according to the condition of the mother . . .
Barbados
Barbados—Sugar Cane
Indigo
African Slavery Established (1680) “These two words, Negro and slave, by custom grown Homogenous and Convertible; even as Negro and Christian, Englishman and Heathen, are . . . made Opposites.”
Slave Trade
Some comparative figures…. To United States To 1790 275,000 1790-1807 75,000 French & Spanish Territories 30,000 Illegal 50,000 430,000 1800 1 million, 1860 4 million in US To Saint Domingue: Total 860,000 Alive 1791=480,000
Slave Population 1750 Societies with slaves vs. Slave societies New England Colonies (NH, Mass, RI, Ct) White 349,029 Slave 10,982 (3.1%) Middle Colonies (NY, NJ, Pa) White 248,515 Slave 19,240 (7.2%) Chesapeake (Del, Md, Va, NC) White 307,596 Slave 166,198 (35.1%) Lower South (SC, Ga) White 29,200 Slave 40,000 (57.8%)
Punishments
Stono Rebellion (1739)