Why did a Slave society develop in colonial Virginia?

Why did a Slave society develop in colonial Virginia?

Big point!

• The shift to a slave society was not inevitable!

The shift to a slave society was not inevitable!

• The status of Africans in 17th century Virginia was fluid and ambiguous until the establishment of slave codes at the turn of the 18th century.

Problems in VirginiaProblem #1: Land but no labor!

• Lots of land!– Available and unused, from a English

perspective



perspective– Landowning tied to idea of “independence”

• Landowners had control of their lives and livelihood



perspective– Landowning was tied to idea of

“independence”• Landowners had control of their lives and livelihood

– Landlessness equated to “dependence”• A tenant was subject to the landlord

Problem #2: Profitable commodity but no labor

• Plenty of land to grow tobacco and plenty of demand in Europe

Problem #2: Profitable commodity but no labor

• Plenty of land to grow tobacco and plenty of demand in Europe– Demand pushed production

• 60,000 lbs., in 1620

• 35 million lbs., in 1700

Tobacco’s popularity exacerbated the labor shortage


• Labor intensive crop


• Labor intensive crop• Many tedious,

relatively unskilled, steps– Planting

– Tending

– Harvesting

– Drying

– Packing

Lots of land, profitable crop, but who’s going to work it?

• How about using Indians?– The Spanish did!

Lots of land, but who’s going to work it?

• Indians?– The Spanish did!

• Didn’t work in Virginia



• Didn’t work in Virginia– Could easily run away, knew the land



• Didn’t work in Virginia– Could easily run away, knew the land– Had “military” backing, support of allies



• Didn’t work in Virginia– Could easily run away, knew the land– Had “military” backing, support of allies– Had suffered depopulation



• Didn’t work in Virginia– Could easily run away, knew the land

– Had “military” backing, support of allies

– Had suffered depopulation

– Too dispersed• No encomiendas in British America

A solution: Indentured Servants

Indentured servants

• An indenture, or contract, to labor in exchange for passage to America.

Indentured servants


• Terms ranged from four to seven years

Indentured servants


• Terms ranged from four to seven years

• Few rights, often cruel treatment

• Why would anyone do this?

• Why would anyone do this?

• To escape poverty in England!

Domestic problems in England

• Population growth



• Eviction of tenant farmers



• Eviction of tenant farmers

• Growing poverty and pressure on English cities

Opportunity for aspiring aristocrats

• Headright system


• Headright system– 50 acres of land for passage of laborer


• Headright system– 50 acres of land for passage of laborer– Often times ship’s captains transported

potential servants and sold them upon arrival

Keeping up with the Byrds

• William Byrd I– To Virginia, 1670



– Grandfather, a ship’s captain



– Grandfather, a ship’s captain

– Collected a substantial amount of “good” land in Virginia through headrights

“Good” land went quickly

• Wealthy able to grab up land along waterways



• The Byrds’ land was along the James and Potomac rivers



• The Byrds’ land was along the James and Potomac rivers

• Advantage to wealthy

But while everything was coming up tobacco, it was not coming up

roses!

• Problems with indentured servants

Problems with indentured servants

• Runaways


• Runaways• Rights of Englishmen

limited control by masters


• Runaways• Rights of Englishmen

limited control by masters

• Frustration upon completion of indenture

Frustration upon completion of indenture

• Little “good” land available– Distant from waterways– On fringe of English settlement

Moving toward African slavery

• Precedent in Latin America


• Precedent in Latin America– Caribbean, Brazil


• First African slaves to Jamestown, 1619

African slavery

• Very limited for most of the 17th century

African slavery

• Very limited for most of the 17th century– More expensive than servants

• Perpetual servitude

African slavery

• Very limited for most of the 17th century– High mortality among field hands

• Rigors of work, disease

• Slavery was a bad investment

African slavery: not a foregone conclusion

• Up until the last decades of the 17th century, black status in Virginia was fluid.


• Up until the last decades of the 17th century, black status in Virginia was fluid– Free blacks, some who owned servants!


• Up until the last decades of the 17th century, black status in Virginia was fluid– Free blacks, some who owned servants!– Black indentured servants


• Up until the last decades of the 17th century, black status in Virginia was fluid– Free blacks, some who owned servants!– Black indentured servants– Black slaves

Over time, slavery began to make economic sense

• Increased longevity in colony


• Increased longevity in colony– Slavery began to make

sense economically



sense economically

• Decreased supply of white servants



sense economically

• Decreased supply of white servants

– Improved conditions in England



sense economically• Decreased supply of white

servants– Improved conditions in

England– Other colonies

(Pennsylvania, 1681)


• Increased frustration of former servants– Slaves never became

free!

When and why race-based slavery?

• Historians tend to agree that:– Indentured servitude as a model


• Historians tend to agree that:– Indentured servitude as a model– Latin America as a model


• Historians tend to agree that:– Indentured servitude as a model – Latin America as a model– Economic necessity


• Historians tend to agree that:– Indentured servitude as a model – Latin America as a model– Economic necessity– African vulnerability in Virginia

• No rights, no support


• Winthrop Jordan: prejudice/racism led to slavery– English pre-disposition

toward Africans• Negation of white



toward Africans• Negation of white

• Deficient in religion and culture



toward Africans• Negation of white• Deficient in religion

and culture

– Stereotype: Africans inferior, less than human

Evidence:De facto slavery, 1619-1660

• 1640, runaway servants– Severity of punishment based on race

• 1646, bill of sale– term of service for “Negros” is “forever”

• 1648, bill of sale– Black “servants” more expensive

• 1660, slave code– Blacks legally defined as slaves


• Jordan: – Legally defined by the 1660s– Original English prejudice reinforced and

bolstered by economic need and legal definitions. Slavery by custom became slavery by law.


• Edmund Morgan: slavery led to prejudice/racism– Status of blacks

ambiguous until late 17th century

– Lower class whites and blacks enjoyed same rights

Black status ambiguous, fluid

• Could own property

• Could sue, testify against, whites

• Could own servants

• Class, not race, divided 17th century Virginia


• Morgan:– A calculated strategy by elite plantation owners

to divide the lower class by promoting white supremacy and black inferiority


• Morgan:– A calculated strategy by elite plantation owners to

divide the lower class by promoting white supremacy and black inferiority

– An effort to quell the growing unruliness of frustrated former servants as illustrated by Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676.

Slavery supported legally and socially by 1700

• Africans equated with slavery


• Africans equated with slavery– Manumission limited


• Africans equated with slavery– Slavery and racism

reinforced each other• blacks are slaves so

must be inferior, since they are inferior, it is proper that they be slaves

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Why did a Slave society develop in colonial Virginia?