The development of slavery in America resulted from the
working of economic forces and not from climatic or geographic
conditions. When the first twenty Africans reached Virginia in
1619, the colony was comprised of small plantations dependent on
free white labor. While some historians believe that these
immigrants were held in slavery from the beginning, most think
they were given the status of indentured servants. English law
contained no such category as slavery, and the institution did
not receive legal justification in the colony until early in the
1660s. Although the fact of slavery had undoubtedly preceded its
legal definition, there was a period of forty years within which
the Africans had some room for personal freedom and individual
opportunity. Rumors of deplorable working conditions and of
indefinite servitude were reaching England and discouraging the
flow of free white labor. To counter this, a series of acts were
passed which legally established the rights of white labor, but
they did nothing to improve the status of the African. In fact,
their passage pushed them relentlessly towards the status of
slave.
Pages:
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75