The British North American Colonies Grew Between 1600-1763
Cassie Creer
p. 3
10/9/2014
AP American History Essay
The British North American colonies grew considerably between 1600 and 1763. Imports and exports across the Atlantic caused a constant demand for labor in the colonies. The British colonies supplied raw goods as well as some manufactured goods for countries around the world especially in Europe. As the demand for cash crops and raw materials from the Americas grew, the demand for labor also increased. Trans-Atlantic interactions fostered continuity in the demand for labor in the British North American colonies from 1600 to 1763 but also fostered changes in the sources of labor.
The harsh conditions for indentured servitude remained during this period. Indentured servants were treated basically as slaves and many, when freed, were unable to make a decent living for themselves with the small amount of land they were given. The government and society still viewed former indentured servants as inferior to the middle class colonial citizens. Indentured servants were the main source of labor, especially in the north, until Bacon’s rebellion. Nathanial Bacon in Jamestown led Bacon’s rebellion; this rebellion was brought about against the rule of Governor William …show more content…
The South, however had a predominantly plantation based society with a strong demand for cheap labor. The families in the South did not grow fast enough to be able to sustain such large amounts of land on their own. When the American colonies broke from England this difference in dependency of slaves between the north and south proved to be an issue in the creation of the government. The Northwest Land Ordinance created by the Articles of Confederation prohibited any slavery from the old western territories. This began the slow removal of slavery that eventually led to the civil
p. 3
10/9/2014
AP American History Essay
The British North American colonies grew considerably between 1600 and 1763. Imports and exports across the Atlantic caused a constant demand for labor in the colonies. The British colonies supplied raw goods as well as some manufactured goods for countries around the world especially in Europe. As the demand for cash crops and raw materials from the Americas grew, the demand for labor also increased. Trans-Atlantic interactions fostered continuity in the demand for labor in the British North American colonies from 1600 to 1763 but also fostered changes in the sources of labor.
The harsh conditions for indentured servitude remained during this period. Indentured servants were treated basically as slaves and many, when freed, were unable to make a decent living for themselves with the small amount of land they were given. The government and society still viewed former indentured servants as inferior to the middle class colonial citizens. Indentured servants were the main source of labor, especially in the north, until Bacon’s rebellion. Nathanial Bacon in Jamestown led Bacon’s rebellion; this rebellion was brought about against the rule of Governor William …show more content…
The South, however had a predominantly plantation based society with a strong demand for cheap labor. The families in the South did not grow fast enough to be able to sustain such large amounts of land on their own. When the American colonies broke from England this difference in dependency of slaves between the north and south proved to be an issue in the creation of the government. The Northwest Land Ordinance created by the Articles of Confederation prohibited any slavery from the old western territories. This began the slow removal of slavery that eventually led to the civil