Slavery In The 1700s

Slavery in the United States expanded for a multitude of reasons including demand for labor, conventional racism, and its legality. In the 1700s, the economy of southern colonies such as Maryland and Virginia relied on cash crops. The ideal growing conditions of these colonies promoted the extensive growth of crops including tobacco, rice, and indigo. Despite these advantages, growing and maintaining these crops was not an easy task. It required a considerable amount of work and effort, which was provided by slaves. The ownership of slaves made the maintenance of plantations convenient and easy for the slave owners. In addition, racism played a large role in the expansion of slavery. Americans thought that they were above all else simply because
of the color of their skin. They truly believed that the pigmentation of the skin of the slaves was what made them worthless and therefore treated them like animals. The atrocious treatment of the slaves brought amusement to the slave owners; to them, the slaves were mere workers, and nothing more. Finally, slavery was legal in the United States until 1865. When the government makes something legal, it is almost as if they are promoting that thing. Slavery was not considered to go against morals until the initiation of the Civil War. If something is allowed, it will most likely be done. Slavery existed and expanded because of the strong need for workers, general racism, and the fact that it was legal. The south refused to free slaves and hire workers because of things such as ownership, cost, and the amount of work. Any act of disobedience from slaves would result in punishment. Plantation owners would not have been able to act so harshly towards workers. Workers were people who were willing to work and were therefore entitled to their opinions. Violence was the only method of discipline the slave owners knew to be effective. Additionally, slaves didn’t necessarily cost much. Once they were paid for, that was that, and no more payment was necessary. Workers, however, are paid weekly/monthly. Over time, one payment of a substantial amount of money is considerably less than consistent payments. Furthermore, slaves generally got more work done than workers. The harsh living conditions of the slaves left them with nothing left to do, while workers with self-respect know when enough is enough and recognize when they are being overworked. Only so much can be asked for from workers while slaves are obligated to do anything and everything. Owning slaves made it much easier to get things done than it would have been with paid workers. The north wanted to end slavery prior to the Civil War because they considered it to be unjust. To begin, they believed that all men deserved to be heard. For slaves, many freedoms were disregarded, among them freedom of speech. Slaves were required to do nothing save for obeying and doing work. The slaves were to be punished for any expression of opinion they had given. The northern colonists thought that was no way to live. Similarly, slaves were not permitted to leave their owner’s property. All day every day they were either working, eating, or sleeping, with nothing in between. The lack of environmental stimulation drove a number of slaves to insanity, and in some cases, suicidal actions. Lastly, they experienced no comfort nor any leeway. Slave quarters were typically very cramped and uncomfortable, and each and every disobedient behavior never went without immediate correction. Not only did slaves not have the freedom or place to do anything other than work; they didn’t even have the space to do so. The north deemed this way of life to be unacceptable and inhumane.