๐บ๐ธap us history review
AMSCO 2.6 Slavery in the British Colonies Notes
Verified for the 2025 AP US History examโขCitation:MLA
Topic 2.6
๐Topic 2.6 Slavery in the British Colonies
๐ AMSCO p.59 - p.62
Main Idea
โญ The need for cheap labor to fuel the growth of plantations in the South ultimately led to the development of slavery in the colonies. Efforts to find a nearby dependable labor source proved futile as Native Americans would escape, and the slow growth rate of the colonies meant there was a short supply of indentured servants or cheap workers. Farm owners eventually turned to African slave labor, which ultimately fueled the southern agricultural sector and the northern trade sector.
Key Timeline
Timeline of Slavery in the British Colonies
Image Courtesy of Risha
Things to Know
Demand for Labor
- The new demand for tobacco and the high-intensity labor needs of plantations came with a need for cheap labor.
- Efforts to use Native Americans for labor failed as they would escape and frequently fought with the colonists.
- Plantation owners tried to use indentured servants, but due to their limited working period, they were impractical.
The Institution of Slavery
- The beginning of slavery in the colonies started with indentured African laborers who were eventually freed.
- Laws were eventually created to impose greater restrictions on African laborers and keep them under life bondages.
- Most slaves were employed in Southern plantations. They made up a most of the population in the South.
- Many Northerners profited from slavery by participating in the Middle Passage and the slave trade as a whole.
Increased Demand for Enslaved Africans
- Several factors explained the rise of slavery:
- Reduced migration to the colonies
- A lack of a dependable workforce
- Plantation owners were skeptical of indentured servant labor (Ex: Baconโs Rebellion)
- To keep plantations profitable, labor had to be cheap
Slave Laws
- Due to fears of a slave uprising and losing cheap labor, lawmakers designed laws to enslave African laborers for life.
- Slaves now inherited their enslaved status at birth, and interracial marriage was banned.
- Many Whites began to view African-Americans as inferior to themselves.
Resistance to Slavery
- Some slaves tried to keep their families together despite the reality of separation.
- Even under the threat of punishment, slaves protested through hunger strikes, fleeing, or refusal to work.
- Many slaves integrated African religious practices such as songs and storytelling into Christianity.
Terms to Remember
| Term | Definition + Significance |
|---|---|
| Indentured Servant | A laborer who worked for a plantation for a defined set of time (4-7 years) with paid room and board. |
| Headright System | This was an attempt by Virginia to attract immigrants for labor by offering 50 acres of land to any person who paid for their passage or a plantation owner paying for someoneโs passage. |
| Middle Passage | The leg of Triangular Trade associated with the slave trade. |
| Slavery | Life bondage and oppressive institutions imposed on Africans laborers brought to the colonies to work on plantations or in labor-intensive industries. |
| Plantation | Large-scale farms in the Southern colonies known for their wide-scale production and export of products, such as tobacco and cotton. |