4/7 AP United States History DBQ Essay: Rise of slavery, 1607–1750

The Prompt

The Essay

Initially the atlantic slave trade started with indentured servatued. A person could work for their freedom if they were a criminal of war. But high demands for plantation works, laws that passed to racially segerate the whites and the blacks to prevent uprise, contributed to the change from servant, to slave.The instiution of slavery developed from the period 1607 to 1750 because African American people were viewed as property by slave owners, laborers were needed for plantation work, and racial classing. In the early 1600s, when indentured seratued was still commonly practices, laborers would have to pay off their debt with producing a certain amount of a good. However, even then the race of the laborers was still documented, the difference between "Thomas Groves, 4 years to serve-1300 Ib tobo" (Doc 2) and "Emaniell, a Negro man-2000 Ib tobo" (Doc 2) is significant. They were expected to not only produce more tobacco, but they did not have a set date for freedom. This was because as time went on, especially after several rebellions causing laws to be passed, african americans were seen as less than humans. "Mr.Nathanial Bacon...hath stirred up a great number of indigent and dissatified persons to obstruct the proceedings" (Doc 5) Bacon's rebellin united all people, this kind of force against the wealthy white men in power lead to only stricter laws being inforced. In 1705 an act declaring enslaved workers who were Indigenous or African American was passed, this declared all non-christian servant imports to be slaves once they landed in the Americas. This applied to mixed children as well forcing them into slavery for 31 years from the moment they are born, and prohibitted the interracial marriage. (Doc 6) These laws were pasted to justify slavery, declaring these people as property, and using there religious or birth status to justify this. Slavery was something that could not be easily escaped, a child was a slave from birth, and converting to christianity and getting bapatized did not change the staus of a slave at all. (Doc 4) These people were not regarded as or ever seen as people, no matter what they attempted to do to gain freedom legally, and action was always taken to stop them. Keeping these groups of people divide gave those already in positions of power more power. Overtime this contributed to a major shift in society, the slavery institution developed majorly. Inbetween 1680-1689 when it was common to have servants switched into fulll blown plantation owning and slavery. (Doc 1) Slaves who retalliated faced harsh punishments. In order to prevent slaves from running away they would have there left thigh slashed (Doc 7), other harsh punishments were also used to prevent slaves from trying to run away or retalliate. As the south grew the number of slaves grew too, with the help of dehumanizing laws, and potentially life threatening punishments. The early Americas economy was founded on slavery, it developed as the atlantic slave trade, need for laborers, and racial biased laws were passed. This started with indentured servetued, where African Americans were given more intense quotas then there white counterparts. Children became slaves form birth because of their race. And as time went on it became harder and harder to gain freedom. As slaves were regarded as less than human. Unfortunately, the economies of the southern colonies were founded on slavery. This early foundation connects to later revolutions in the United states history, including the civil war, and the fight against segregation and racism against people of color all the way into the 1950s. The founding principles of nation are extremly important, and will have a long lasting affect on a nation even centuries later.

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What This Essay Gets Right

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