Slavery in the Southern States essays

Slavery in the Southern States essays In early America, the southern states quickly realized that crops such as tobacco and cotton were very much in demand. The land and climate were excellent for the growth of these crops and slave labor was perfectly suited for the jobs. Most importantly to the growers, slave labor was very cheap. The planters invested in slaves rather than machinery to increase production. Slavery originated from a concept known as indentured servitude. One half to two-thirds of all immigrants to Colonial America arrived as indentured servants. At times, as many as 75% of the population of some colonies were under terms of the indenture. Even on the frontier, according to the 1790 U.S. Census, 6% of the Kentucky population was indentured. The historic basis for indenture grew out of English agricultural servitude and began because of labor shortages in England and the colonies. It developed at a time when England had a great number of people being displaced from farming. This led to the early growth of the indentured labor system. The importation of white servants under contracts known as indentures proved more profitable as a short-term labor source than enslaving Indians or using free labor. Eventually, the final attempt to ease labor shortages was enslavement of Africans. A labor-intensive cash crop such as tobacco required a large workforce. The earliest indentured servants were brought to Virginia as farm laborers. In practice, the servant would sell himself to an agent or ship captain before leaving the British Isles. In turn, the contract would be sold to a buyer in the colonies to recover the cost of the passage. In theory, the person is only selling his or her labor. In practice, however, indentured servants were slaves, and the courts enforced the laws that made it so. The treatment of the servant was harsh and often brutal. Colonial laws punished runaway indentured servants with severity. The government initially soug...