Origins of Slavery in the Americas Unit 2: Lecture 1 09/15/2015

Objective To obtain an understanding of the origins of slavery in North America and the Caribbean.

Estimated Slave imports by destination, 1451-1870 Origins Estimated Slave imports by destination, 1451-1870 Destination Total Slave Imports British North America 339,000 Spanish America 1,552,100 French Caribbean 1,600,200 Brazil 3,464,800 Slavery and slave trading were ancient phenomena that existed in all cultures. Slavery had existed in all cultures and was common in West Africa, although it was less oppressive than it became in the Americas. Interethnic rivalries in W. Africa led to the warfare that produced slaves during the sixteenth century. Columbus’s voyages impacted the trade due to the establishment of colonies in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central and South America. As the numbers of American Indians in these regions rapidly declined, due to diseases and violence, Europeans relied on the Atlantic slave trade for a source of slave labor. As early as 1502, there were African Slaves on Hispaniola (Haiti and Dominican rep) Gold and silver minds in Mexico and sugar plantations in Brazil produced an enormous demand for labor. Most Africans landed in Brazil with the least number landing in North America. Europe provided an insatiable market for sugar, cultivation of this crop in the Americans became extremely profitable.

Capture and the Middle Passage After capture, Africans were packed tightly into slave ships. The death rate of the “passengers” was 50%. From the interior to the coast: Captives were tied together with rope or secured with wooden yokes around their necks. Many captives died from hunger, exhaustion, and illness during their journey. Some killed themselves rather than submit to slavery. Slaves who rebelled were sometimes killed by their captors. Once taken to the coast, they would be held for weeks or months until forced onto a ship (canoes to large ships). Voyage: Normally 2-3 months, but voyages could take as long as six months depending on currents, the weather, and “sea dogs” pirates who attacked Spanish ships to steal slaves. On Ship: Cargo space generally only 5 feet high. Ships carpenters halved this vertical space by building shelves, so that slaves can be packed above and below the planks that measured only 5 and ½ feet long and 16 inches wide. Also, male slaves were chained to prevent rebellion and lodged separately from women and children.

The Middle Passage Diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, measles, small pox, and dysentery constantly threated Africans and Europeans during the middle passage. Death rates were huge on board slave ships before 1750. Mortality dropped after that date because ships became faster and ships doctors knew more about hygiene and diet. There were also early forms of vaccinations against smallpox. Slavers provided only 3-4 toilet tubs below deck for enslaved African s to use during the middle passage. They had to struggle among themselves to get to the tubs.

Atlantic Trade Resistance and revolt at sea: Many Africans refused to accept their fate, slaver captains had to be vigilant. Uprisings were common, most took place while the ship prepared to set sail, when the African coast was still insight, others occurred on the open sea where it was unlikely that, even if the revolt was successful, would be able to return to their homes.

Destination, Auction, and Seasoning Desire for Sugar, Demand for Labor Slave Auctions Process of Seasoning Forced Acculturation Language Name Labor As slave ships neared their W. Indian destinations, the crew prepared the human cargo for landing and sale. They allowed the slaves to shave, wash with fresh water, and exercise. Those bound for N. America were often given some weeks to rest in the W. Indies. The process of sale: The dehumanization and humiliation of Africans continued as the slaves went to market. They suffered close physical inspection from potential byers. Auctions took place either on deck or in sale yards on shore. However, some captains employed “the scramble.” In these barbaric events, the captain established standard prices for men, women, and children, herded the Africans together in a corral, and then allowed byers to rushing among them to grab and rope together the slaves they desired. Seasoning: Seasoning was the beginning of the process of making new Africans more like slaves who were born in the Americas. Seasoning followed sale and required up to two years of acculturating slaves and braking them into plantation routines. On Jamaica and other Caribbean islands, planters divided slaves into three categories: Creoles – slaves born in the Americas Old Africans – Those who had lived in the Americans for some time New Africans – just arrived Before 1720: North American plantation owners preferred “seasoned” slaves to “unbroken” ones who came directly from Africa. – ask students to infer why. After 1720, labor demand in Caribbean increased, and fewer “seasoned” slaves came from there, instead, most slaves came directly from African and the middle passage. Seasoning was a disciplinary process intended to modify the behavior and attitude of slaves and make them effective laborers. As part of this process, the slaves’ new masters gave them new names. The seasoning process also involved slaves’ learning European languages: Spanish, French and English. Often this new learning produced creole dialects that had distinctive African linguistic features. Seasoning varied in length from place to place. Masters or overseers broke slaves into plantation work by assigning them to one of several work gangs. The strongest men joined the first or “great gang,” which did the heavy field work of planting and harvesting. The second gang, including women and older males, did lighter field work, such as weeding. The third gang, composed of children, worked shorter hours and did such tasks as bringing food and water to the field gangs. Other slaves became domestic servants. New Africans served apprentices ships with old Africans from their same ethnic group or with creoles.

The Beginnings of Slavery in the United States 1500s: The Portuguese and Spanish had already brought Africans to South and Latin America. In 1619, the first Africans were brought to the colony Jamestown, Virginia by the Dutch. Landowners assessing the success of seasoning: 1st criterion survival. Africans were weakened and traumatized by the capture and middle passage. 2nd criterion Africans had to adapt to new foods and climate. 3rd criterion was learning a new language, enough to respond and understand demands. Final criterion, psychological. When new Africans ceased to be suicidal, planters assumed that they had accepted their status and separation from their homeland. African adaptation and survival: Slaves entered plantation society with their memories of their family, homeland and culture. When ties to their villages were broken, they created bonds with shipmates that simulated blood relationships and became the new basis of new extended families. African slaves did not lose all their culture during the middle passage and seasoning in the Americans. The Africans who survived the Atlantic slave trade and slavery in the Americans were resilient.

Why Not Enslave the Native Population? Lacked immunity to European diseases. Familiar with the terrain and could escape easier. Political allies Native Americans were highly likely to catch European diseases. They were familiar with the terrain and could escape easier. They had political allies that could fight against the “owners.”

Reasons for Using Enslaved African Labor Proximity Experience Immunity from diseases Low escape possibilities Proximity-It only took 2-6 weeks to get to the colonies from the Caribbean at first. Experience-They had previous experience and knowledge working in sugar and rice production. Immunity from diseases-Less likely to get sick due to prolonged contact over centuries. Low escape possibilities-They did not know the land, had no allies, and were highly visible because of skin color.

Anthony Johnson He was an African brought to the colonies in the 1620s. He obtained his freedom, and purchased 250 acres of land in Virginia. He owned at least one slave and white indentured servants. This shows that blacks were not thought of strictly as slaves until the 1660s. Chesapeake: At first indentured servants, then from 1620-70s, black and white people worked in the tobacco fields together, lived together. Same with Native Indians. As members of an oppressed working class, they were all unfree. A clear distinction had not yet been made between white freedom and black slavery. Anthony Johnson: Arrived in colony of Virginia in 1621 1625 census listed him as a servant 1651 he had 250 acres and servants As the demand for labor to produce tobacco after 1660 exploded, so did the need for labor.

Unit 2, Lecture 2 Slave life in British North America 1619-1763 Objective: to obtain an understanding of early slave life in North America and it’s impact on black culture.

Slavery in the Colonies New England colonies-no large plantation systems; slaves lived in cities and small farms Chesapeake Bay colonies-large tobacco plantations; center of the domestic slave trade Carolinas and Georgia-large rice and cotton plantations The ruling elite soon began to treat black servants differently from white servants, however. Over the decades that changed as power began to shift. Chesapeake began to establish chattel slavery – slaves were legally private property on a level with livestock. Between 1640 and 1700, demographics between Delaware and North Carolina changed. An economy based primarily on the labor of white indentured servants became an economy based on the labor of black slaves.

Life of a Slave Most slaves had Sundays off and they went to church. Most slaves could not read or write, and it was illegal for them to learn. Slave Codes-They could not: leave their home without a pass, carry a weapon, gather in groups, own property, legally marry, defend themselves against a white person, or speak in court.

Punishment Slaves were often brutally punished for misbehaving. Punishments included: whipping, branding, being sold, gagged (silence), and other torturous methods were used.

Resistance Flight-Slaves would runaway. Truancy-Flight for a short amount of time and then the slave came back. Refusal to reproduce-Women refused to have children. Covert Action-Slaves would sometimes kill animals, destroy crops, start fires, steal stuff, break tools, poison food.

Violence 4 major slave revolts- Stono Rebellion-failed revolt in South Carolina in 1739 Gabriel Prosser-led failed revolt in Virginia in 1800 Denmark Vessey-led failed revolt in South Carolina in 1822 Nat Turner-killed 60 white people in Virginia in 1831

The Effects of the American Revolution and the Constitution Gradual abolition of slavery in the northern colonies/states Three-Fifths Clause for Southern support of Constitution Entrenchment of slavery in the South with the invention of cotton gin in 1793 End of the Atlantic Slave Trade in 1808 The cruelties associated with the Atlantic slave trade contributed to its abolition in the early 19th century. Great Britain abolished the Atlantic Slave Trade in 1807 and enforced that abolition on other nations. US Congress joined Britain in outlawing the Atlantic Trade the following year in 1808.

Summary

Discussion Question How could Africans resist the dehumanizing forces of the middle passage and seasoning and use their African cultures to build black cultures in the New world?

Compromise of 1850 California comes in the Union (United States) as a free state Utah and New Mexico territories are created-no mention of slavery Outlaws slave trade in Washington, D.C. Fugitive Slave Act-requires northerners to return escaped slaves to masters

The Dred Scott Decision Dred Scott was a slave who was taken to a free territory by his owner. He sued for his freedom because he lived in the free territory. His case went all the way to the Supreme Court, where Scott loses because he was not considered a citizen, thus could not sue in federal court. (He was “property” and could be taken anywhere.)

Election of 1860 and the Start of the Civil War Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860 without any southern electoral votes. Many southern states quickly seceded from the Union, South Carolina leading the way. Southern troops fired upon Fort Sumter, starting the Civil War. The North fought to preserve the Union, while the South fought to preserve slavery.

The Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation Early in the war, Lincoln began to think about ending slavery in the South to help end the war. On September 22, 1862 he issued the Emancipation Proclamation which declared an end to slavery in the states in rebellion on January 1, 1863. What did it do? Nothing. It only freed slaves in the states that had seceded.

End of the Civil War and the 13th Amendment The South lost, and the states were forced to accept the 13th Amendment to the Constitution before they could be readmitted into the Union. 13th Amendment-It abolished slavery in the United States. It was ratified in 1865.