System of Racial Slavery Built by English Colonists
English colonists in America built a system of racial slavery over time, and rather than doing so just by practice or custom, they used legislation and court decisions to construct an increasingly rigid and seemingly indestructible legal structure that would come to consign trafficked Africans and their descendants to perpetual bondage. While each colony passed its own laws at different times, all established slavery, and the legal framework was similar from colony to colony. First, why did colonial leaders choose to build this system? And then, what were some of the key features of the laws they passed, and what were these laws’ contributions to this ever more defined system, up through about 1740?
You should plan to write a cohesive, formal essay, 1300 to 1600 words (this is about four to five pages), in which you develop an argument and advance it through making points and using evidence to back them up.
The formatting is the usual – double-spaced, standard margins, normal sized font (11 or 12 point, depending on which you choose) and so on.
Do not use or consult outside sources for this assignment. You should only be referencing class materials – the textbook, the “Legislating slavery” set of documents on Canvas, and whatever we may cover in class. You do not need to use all the documents, but you should use some of them, along with the textbook and lecture material. The best papers tend to blend together a variety of different types of sources, making for a stronger case. You will have all the information you need to write an outstanding essay.
Please refer to the citation guide on Canvas for how to cite your sources. All essays must have citations. Those with none or very few will earn a failing grade. Since you will all be using the same sources, there is no need for a works cited page.
Really, I cannot stress this enough – stay off the Web when writing these. Trying to find answers online is the fast track to an academic integrity case, and if there appears to be evidence of an infraction, which can pretty much only come from looking at things that are not the textbook, lecture notes or primary sources, I will not hesitate to report it.
Oh, and a quick note on language – I know we come across terms like “Negro” and “colored” in our readings, but they are not terms we should use as our own. It is OK to quote someone who is saying them, but these words are outdated and offensive, and have been for over fifty years, so please do not describe people as such in your own words.
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System of Racial Slavery Built by English Colonists
Introduction
Without a doubt, it is impossible to ventilate the history of America without roping in the thorny issue of slavery. The two are intertwined, and the latter played an integral role in establishing and developing America as a nation. The history of slavery in America dates back to the 17th century, and the first batch of slaves set foot in America in 1619 in Jamestown (The Evolution of Slavery, 1). The numbers swelled gradually over the years, and the slaves played a pivotal role in the colony. Indeed, slavery provided the basis for the growth of the American economy in distinct dimensions. For instance, in the South, it helped produce a substantial amount of the world’s cotton, which enabled the country’s economy to grow substantially. In cognizance of the paramount role that racial slavery played in the progression of America, all states enacted legislation to sustain the despicable practice. Interestingly, some slaveholders, in their earnest quest to defend slavery, argued that God permitted the practice (Slaveholders in Virginia Argue against the Abolition of Slavery, 1784-1785, 138). Adopting such a hard-line stance meant that slaveholders would go to any length to ensure the perpetuation of slavery. In this regard, the slaveholders crafted a racial slavery system supported by a legal system entailing laws that contributed to its definition.
Reasons for Building a Racial Slavery System
One of the reasons why colonists established a racial slavery system was their unreasonable belief that they had the inalienable right to hold non-Christians as slaves. As indicated previously, they believed the scriptures did not speak against it at any point (Slaveholders in Virginia Argue against the Abolition of Slavery, 1784-1785, 138). As such, they contended the Deity approved of slavery, which is why they engaged in the same without the slightest misgivings. Their arguments, in their quest to vindicate slavery, appeared to border on the ridiculous. For instance, the slaveholders claimed that slavery played a paramount role in emancipating black people from such vagaries of life as neglect, famine, and death. In addition, they claimed it cushioned slaves from the terrible horrors that could be visited on them by unprincipled and remorseless banditti (Slaveholders in Virginia Argue against the Abolition of Slavery, 1784-1785, 138). In short, they implicitly suggested that enslaving black people did more good than harm to the slaves.
The other reason slaveholders established a racial system was to make sure no laws would be enacted to emancipate slaves. They regarded slaves as property, which no one had the right to wrestle from them (Slaveholders in Virginia Argue against the Abolition of Slavery, 1784-1785, 138). In addition, they established laws that would inevitably protect them from having lawsuits instituted against them for enslaving black people. Ideally, they wanted to ensure that no laws would be used in any court of law to condemn them for engaging in slavery.
What slaveholders conspicuously failed to point out was the overriding economic import associated with keeping slaves. Massive documentation records the immense contribution slaves made in helping establish plantations in America. It goes without saying that the plantations, especially in the South, would not have flourished without the input of slaves. In the mid-18th century, for instance, a whopping 40,000 slaves were working in rice plantations in several parts of America, including Carolina and Georgia (The Evolution of Slavery, 8). Having slaves on plantations was a profitable venture since they were not entitled to any remuneration despite working from sunup to sundown. This means the only expenditure slaveholders incurred on behalf of the slaves was through food and clothing, which was insignificant since slaves received meager food rations and poor clothing.
Key Features of Slave Laws
To perpetuate slavery in different parts of America, colonist leaders enacted laws that offered little or no reprieve to slaves, especially indentured ones. One outstanding feature of those stifling laws was the 1660s laws in the Chesapeake colonies (The Evolution of Slavery, 5). Before the enforcement of these laws, indentured slaves attained their freedom after working for a particular period. One of the most prominent freed slaves during the 17th century was Anthony Johnson, who got a land grant from the colonists after achieving freedom. He engaged in tobacco farming, attaining staggering wealth and owning slaves. Actually, he filed a lawsuit against one Robert Pa...