Factors that Contributed to African Enslavement in North America

U.S. Work and Labor Before the End of Reconstruction
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U.S. Work and Labor Before the End of Reconstruction
By the late 1600s, the fluid labor arrangement in the US had become more restrictive and formalized, with a form of racially (African) based slavery imposed in North America. Different factors might have contributed to this fluid arrangement that saw slavery become more restrictive and formalized in the south and some northern states. First and foremost, the sudden surge in agricultural production and demand raw material played a significant role in the development (Davis, 2006). This came on the eve of the American independence from the British imperial masters. The dawn of American independence did not however bring significant change as perpetuation of oppression and slavery persisted (Adelstein, 2012). The growth in the agricultural production fueled by industrial revolution led to a sudden surge in labor demand on white settler farms. The subsequent shortfall in labor necessitated the formation of the Royal shipment company that exported African Slaves to North America (Coombs, 2011). Africans were forcefully shipped to North America where they were sold to white settler farmers.
The second factor that might have contributed to the development was the emergence and growth of transatlantic slave trade in the 1600s (Davis, 2006). As the population of Africans increased, the colonial masters changed their strategy from indentured European servants to African slaves. Fueled by the unprecedented growth in mass agricultural production, Africans were shipped to Virginia where they were sold to work as indentured slaves together with their European counterparts who couldn’t afford travelling charges to North America. History documents that during this period, African slaves would work on the settler farms for a specified period of time after which they would be granted freedom (Smith& Paquette, 2012). Another critical factor that could have contributed to the development is the racial segregation that largely characterized the 1650s (Adelstein, 2012). Racial segregation saw Africans categorized as low class citizens who had no rights and privileges. And hence they were condemned to endless enslavement by their colonial white counterparts. African slaves were treated as the property of their colonial masters, and hence they were a valuable asset to their masters (Coombs, 2011). Another important factor that led to the development is the growth in salve population particularly due to a gradual decline in the number of white servitudes due to an increase in demand for skilled labor owing to the rise of the industrial revolution. The high demand for white servitude increased their price tag, thereby compelling the colonialists to shift to African labor which was considered as a cheaper alternative (Davis, 2006). The African slaves were considered inferior to their white masters who led to their cruel and brutal treatment. Moreover, colonial masters believed that African enslavement were necessary since the former acted as paternal figure to the latter. Thus black slaves endured hard labor and dilapidated working conditions on the expansive tobacco and cotton fields that were the hallmark of the southern states (Belich, 2009). Subsequently, African slaves became a critical factor in the growth and prosperity of the North American Agricultural economy. Africans were largely exported to the Chesapeake region, which comprised of three states: Virginia, S.Carolina and Maryland which were predominantly tobacco producing states(Davis, 2006).This was also critical factor in the growth of African enslavement given that tobacco, unlike cotton, required highly skilled labor during harvesting. As compared to the cotton farms of the south, the tobacco fields of the Chesapeake had better working conditions and hence higher life expectancy. It’s the labor that was provided by the black African slaves that helped make Virginia a great exporter of agricultural produce to England (NAGL, 2017).
Another factor that could have led to African enslavement in the 1600s was the fact that British colonialists were unable to enslave Native Americans since they could easily escape from slavery given their thorough understanding to the environment (Davis, 2006). However, African slaves could not escape because they had been shipped from Africa and had no way of escaping from their bondage. Due to this, the demand for black slaves increased. Still, the chattel enslavement model adopted by the British colonialists where African slaves were considered as a property of the master differed from that practiced against Native Americans. The chattel enslavement model may also have fueled the shift to African labor given that they were to become a property of the owner unlike the Native Americans and indentured European servants (Adelstein, 2012).
Following the arrival of the first 20 African slaves in Virginia a board British Royal ship, the colonial settlers discovered the enormous benefits that could accrue from the use of African labor especially on Virginia’s large tobacco plantations (Coombs, 2011). Still, the construction of a tobacco processing plant in Virginia may also have served as a key driver for the shift to African slaves as the primary source of labor on tobacco farms. Tobacco, unlike other crops, was labor intensive and thus Africans were considered strong enough and well suited for the job (Adelstein, 2012). Besides, the white indentured servants had proved unsuitable since they couldn’t brave the hot sunny conditions, of which African slaves were already accustomed. Besides, a decline in the number of indentured whites in servitude especially given the unattractiveness of the working conditions in North American plantations may have served as the impetus for the British colonialist’s choice of African slaves over their Native American and indentured European counterparts (Belich, 2009).
The demand for African slaves continued to rise partly due to the fact that Africans were considered, strong and resilient to the unforgiving weather conditions and hence they were capable of working under them for extremely longer hours (Da...