American Slavery In The 1800's

Contrary to popular belief that the United States was founded on equality, freedom and apple pie, that is not exactly how the dice fell in our beloved countries story. America was built on the promise of giving opportunities, while also depriving those same promised opportunities to others. Slavery grew from a group of exploited workers who had hopes for a better future, to becoming the foundation that shaped the United States. Through building an independent economy, establishing the American class system and pressuring the colonist to fight for their “rights”, slavery brought its original beginnings into the creation of America. Though slavery is often a taboo subject avoided when discussing the path to an independent United States, it is …show more content…
African slaves were first introduced through the Atlantic slave trade which brought the colonies into the bigger economic picture with countries of power. Slaves was a popular import that helped establish the steady colonist exports such as tobacco. Slaves were so important to the colonist that they were willing to pay a high price for them, close to what would be 20,000 dollars today. Slaves were in high demand and were not the easiest thing to get, because of the rough middle passage they faced across the ocean that often made the slaves become ill and die. It was through this passage that slaves learned their value economically and would stop working as a punishment to their masters or ran away completely. Throughout the 1700’s slave owners would place ads in the newspapers in an attempt to get their slaves back. The rewards for information would range and so would the description of the slaves, however in the short ads it is clear that the slaves are the owner’s property. Owners wanted the slaves back because it is what kept their farms successful and the trade going. …show more content…
The citizens of Halifax county, Virginia understood this and joined together to sign a petition to protect their “right” of having slaves. Colonist would go to any length to keep their slaves, because without them their businesses and agriculture would fail. The Halifax County Petition states, “Under the Old Testament Dispensation, Slavery was permitted by the Deity himself.” The colonist even went to the lengths of justifying slavery with the Bible, as a resort to keep their slaves. The colonist were aware that along with the loss of their slaves would come a decline in, “…Credit with foreign nations…” and would cause, “…ruin to this now free and flourishing Country.” Colonist also defended their slavery by claiming that they were saving the public from the horrors the freed slaves would cause on the free, innocent people of Virginia. Though no group of slaves had previously had the opportunity to be free to prove they would cause the, “…Rapes, Murders, and Outrages, which a vast multitude of unprincipled, unpropertied, vindictive, and remorseless Banditti are capable of…”. Colonist were happy to fight for these rights that they felt should be given by birth, however, they felt no need to give any rights to their slaves in fear of being unable to grow and prosper on their own accounts.