Chapter 7, Lesson 3

Slavery in the Colonies

From Indentured Servants to Slave

 In the early 1600’s blacks and whites worked as indentured servants side by side in the colonies.  When indentured servants finished their time of service, they were supposed to be paid “freedom dues” such as a piece of land.  As time went on the “freedom dues” got smaller and smaller. They received less money and smaller pieces of land.  The burning of Jamestown in 1676 by indentured servants made slavery more attractive to plantation owners.  John Punch as the only known enslaved African in the English colonies in 1640.  Massachusetts was the first colony to make slavery legal.  In 1682 Virginia passed the law that said indentured servants were to be white and slaves were to be black.

Slave Codes

 Slave codes were rules to keep enslaved workers under control. They took away most of the captives’ rights.  Enslaved people were not allowed to practice their own religion, learn to read, marry, or own property.  Under the laws, slaveholders who killed an enslaved person would not be punished.  The laws made it unlawful to help and escaped slave.  The slave codes broke down the morale and unity of enslaved Africans, kept them from building wealth, or getting and education.

Slavery in the North

 By 1708 the number of enslaved people in the colonies reached 12,000. The number of enslaved people in the north remained small.  The farms is the north were small and did not need as many workers.  Most Africans in the north who were enslaved became servants or skilled workers. They often worked beside their owner and learned their trade. Slavery in the South

 Small farms and plantations made up the largest part of the economy is the Southern colonies.  Most of the slaves worked on plantations.  The owners separated the enslaved people who spoke the same language. This was to prevent them from plotting an escape.

Plantations

 Plantations were like small villages. The center of the plantation was called the “big house.” This is where the planter and his family lived. The slaves lived in small, often poorly made cabins near the crop fields.

The Overseer

 The overseer was the boss of the plantation. He told the slaves where to work and what to do. He also punished them.  The overseer was often an indentured servant or even an enslaved person who sometimes got a share of the plantations profits, so he worked the slaves from sunrise to sunset.  Field slaves performed heavy labor such as planting and harvesting crops. House slaves cooked and cleaned the planter’s house. Skilled workers made furniture, tools, leather goods, or glass.

The Family

 Family played a key role in helping Africans survive the brutality of slavery.  Families go together on their day off. They sang songs, told stories, and talked.  Slaves often passed on information through their songs. Sometimes the songs would signal for a secret meeting where they could plan an escape.

Rebellions

 Revolt of 1712 is when the enslaved Africans and Native Americans set out to burn and destroy homes in New York City. Nine whites were killed.  After the revolt, no more than two or three enslaved people were allowed to meet.  In the Stono Rebellion of 1739, a captive named Cato led the rebellion in which 30 colonists were killed.  The Security act probably caused this rebellion. The Security Act made all white men carry firearms to church on Sundays.

John Woolman

 John Woolman was a Quaker who spoke out against slavery.  He asked the slave owners to release their captives.  Robert Carter III began freeing the 500 enslaved people on his plantation. He thought slavery was against “the true principles of religion and justice.”