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Essay / The Beginning of Slavery in the United States
Slavery began in America in 1619 when twenty African American slaves were landed by a Dutch ship. In North America, European settlers began to turn to African American slaves throughout the 17th century. This was mainly because they represented a cheaper and more abundant labor force than indentured servants, who were mostly poorer Europeans. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay The United States ended up importing so many slaves that some historians have even estimated that between six and seven million were African American slaves were imported into this country. in the United States only in the 18th century. The African continent has lost many of its healthiest, most efficient and most capable men and women because of this. Most African American slaves lived on the South Coast and worked on indigo, tobacco, or rice plantations during the 17th and 18th centuries. The goal of ending slavery began shortly after the American Revolution, when many colonists began calling for the abolition of slavery. Most of the settlers who wanted the abolition of slavery came from the North, where slavery did not matter to the economy. They believed that slavery should be abolished because they began to compare the way African American slaves were treated to the way the British had treated them during their rule. However, after the revolution, the constitution recognized the idea of slavery. The Constitution, for purposes of taxation and representation of a state in Congress, counted each slave in each state as three-fifths of a person. It also guaranteed the right to recover any person who was previously “bound to service or work.” More than a third of the population of the American South was made up of African-American slaves. Large plantations and small farms were where most slaves lived, with most slave owners owning fewer than fifty slaves. Slaves had a system of restricted codes that governed their lives and slave owners tried to make their slaves dependent only on them. Slaves were generally not allowed to learn to read and write, and their movements and behavior were also restricted. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay A large portion of African American slave women were used for sexual purposes by their masters. If slaves were obedient, they were rewarded with favors and if they were defiant or disobedient, they were brutally punished. Masters tried to maintain a strict hierarchy among African American slaves. This was intended to keep the slaves divided so that they would be less likely to riot against their master..