AP US History in 1 Minute Daily: Slavery in British North America (Day 28/309)

Welcome to day 28 of APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

Today I will be explaining slavery in British North America.

First Enslaved Africans Arrive in Jamestown, History.com

Enslaved Africans first arrived at Jamestown in 1619. Initially, there were no laws regarding slavery and often indentured servants and enslaved Africans worked side-by-side.

Slavery in the Colonies, 1775 APUSHcanvas

Every British colony participated in the Atlantic slave trade but with varying degrees. The percentage of enslaved Africans correlated with each colony’s geographic location and dependence upon commercial agriculture.

Tobacco Production, Virginia 18th Century, Slavery Images

Due to growing European demand for colonial goods and a shortage of indentured servants, the British colonies increasingly depended upon the labor of enslaved Africans. The establishment of “chattel slavery,” the system that considered enslaved persons to be property, quickly became the dominant labor system.

Virginia, An Act Concerning Servants and Slaves, 1705 Encyclopedia Virginia

As the percentage of enslaved Africans increased, new laws codifying the institution developed. The most common laws established that one’s status was determined by the mother, slavery was for life, and interracial marriages were prohibited.

By 1750, a strict system of slavery based on race was institutionalized throughout the colonies. While every colony participated, the southern colonies had the largest percentage of enslaved persons who labored on plantations.

Join me tomorrow as I explain the Stono Rebellion in our next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!