Slavery In Colonial America

Slavery has had a place in human civilization for a substantial part of our history. Long before it was associated with the capture and enslavement of Africans, it was widely used amongst many cultures following tribal warfare and conquests. Primarily in Europe, slavery was used to repay debts. Additionally there was no racial segregation in slavery. It wasn’t until the introduction of African slaves to the Americas in 1619 that slaves were predominantly black. Through triangular trade, millions of Africans were sent to the Americas to assist in cultivation of crops and servitude to their masters. For nearly 250 years slaves were subject to adverse conditions and treatment. However, in the antebellum period relations in the north changed
Once they reached their destination they were bartered and sold, often being separated from their families and loved ones. Across North America, these slaves were transported up and down the east coast. The primary purpose for the slaves was cultivation of cash crops such as cotton, tobacco and sugar cane. These gruesome conditions were often saved for slaves of darker skin tone due to the intense sun and heat. Those of lighter skin tone were made into house servant to wait on their master and his family. This discriminatory process inadvertently led to an increase of “high yellow” children, born of light-skinned slaves and their masters. These children were often disowned and exiled to cover up the masters’ adultery. In addition to rape, slaves were continuously beaten, whipped, hung, and killed for their disobedience or to show dominance. The degree of abuse to slaves extended poor and crowded living quarters accompanied by long, gruesome working hours and conditions. This abuse was tolerated because slaves were not seen as citizens under the United State’s Constitution until much later in American
Tubman was born in 1820 as a slave in Maryland. Following the death of her owner in 1849 she was able to escape to the north to find refuge and there found her calling in assisting other slaves to freedom. On countless occasions she risked her life to escort hundred of slaves from the south to freedom. Her involvement played a pivotal role in successfully freeing slaves from persecution and abuse. However, this journey was not an easy one. Many slaves lost their lives in an attempt to secure their right to freedom. If caught, slaves were often returned to their masters and often times killed. The increase of freed slaves led to retaliation from the southern states to impose stricter enforcement of the fugitive slave law. This was in large part due to the increased demand for field workers, which angered southern slave owners in their search for others to fill the positions that freed slaves had left open. With a large sum of slaves fleeing to the north for freedom crop harvest was decreased in the south and land and slave owners began losing