Unspecified topic or subject matter

¶ … slavery shaped eighteenth-century colonial and Revolutionary America and analyze the role played by enslaved men and women in helping to shape the American Revolution and the early American Republic

The issue of slavery and servitude represented an important moment in the history of the United States. It marked the direction the history of civil rights would eventually follow in the 20th century and at the same time it influenced the way in which the American Revolution would follow its course. The 18th century for the United States were tremendously difficult, especially for African-Americans, Indians, and even Europeans. The present paper discusses the role played by the institution of slavery in influencing the way in which the American Revolution would take place. More precisely, the institution of slavery played a key role in drafting and deepening the differences between the North and the South to such an extent that by the time the Revolution emerged, the two parts of the country were at opposing points on the issue of slavery and economic development. On the one hand, slavery and indentured service shaped the economic development patterns in the South. On the other hand, the way in which slavery was dealt with in the South determined an opposition from the North and further fueled the discrepancies between the two.

There were several means of work. On the one hand indentured labor was a special category of labor, which was considered, from a moral point-of-view to be superior to actual slavery and on the other hand, the traditional means of slavery, which implied forced labor.

Virginia was considered to be one of the most important slave state. One important aspect for this was its geographical position and the particular emphasis its population put on agriculture and labor work. In this sense, there was a desperate need for cheap, if not free work to be done on the rice and tobacco plantations. From this perspective, the legal code was drafted in such a manner as to allow slave owners and slave traders to easily acquire slaves and exploit them. Moreover, taking into account the growing pressures coming from the Northern states that constantly promoted actions for the abolition of slavery, the Virginia code became even more strict and rigid.

Indentured servitude was an issue that affected in the beginning white immigrants that came from the British Empire in the early decades of the 17th century. In this sense, "indentured servitude appears in use in Virginia by 1620, little more than a decade after the initial British settlement of North America at Jamestown. Servitude became a central institution in the economy and society of many parts of colonial British America" (Galenson, 1984, 1) More precisely, it represented a useful tool for the early development of the economic situation in the colonies taking into account the fact that "between one half and two thirds of all white immigrant to the British colonies between the Puritan migration of the 1630s and the Revolution came under indenture" (Galenson, 1984, 1)

However, there are opinions that argue that in fact it did not represent a condition reserved to whites. There was little distinction in terms of racial matters. In this sense, taking Virginia as a point of reference, "in the early years of the colony, many Africans and poor whites -- most of the laborers came from the English working class -- stood on the same ground. Black and white women worked side-by-side in the fields. Black and white men who broke their servant contract were equally punished" (Africans in America, n.d.). Therefore, it can be said that the practice of indentured service was one of the first means of acquiring labor force from the British Empire in the American colonies. It was a useful tool for motivating people to choose to come to America in the conditions in which there was an increased need for people to populate the territory and work it.

The system indentured service offered was not considered to be advantageous from an economic point-of-view because, unlike slavery, it required a financial remuneration. In this sense, as the need for work became more and more stringent, the racial differences became obvious. This was due to the fact that the owners of the land, at the beginning of the 18th century came to consider slave trade as a means of acquiring cheap and even free labor force from the regions of Africa and even from parts of Latin America (Jenkins, 1997). This was the first step in the differentiation between the white and the black people that had been engaged in the indentured service.

Slavery in the South was promoted and maintained through different means. The most important however was the legal code. The state of Virginia had one of the toughest set of laws among slave states. This is why it is considered to have been a leading player in supporting the institution of slavery, along with South Carolina, and Maryland. However, in the beginning there was a clear legal distinction between the term of servant and that of slave. Whereas the runaway servants were punished by extending their indenture, the black runaway was sentenced to become slave for life (Selected records relating to slavery in early Virginia, n.d.). This comes to prove the distinctive legal approach between Europeans who came to America after being promised secure passage in exchange for a certain number of years spent in service to an American white family, while black people, who had been brought in from Africa, and who did not benefit from the possibility of freedom.

The distinction between slaves and servants was made possible through subsequent legal regulations and increased the differences between the two categories. At the same time however, the indenture procedure could not have been overrun, and therefore more and more interest was focused on slavery regulation and especially in what regards black people. The Indians had been as well viewed as possible slaves. However, the wide difference between the white population and the Indian one made it practically impossible for the former to impose its will on the latter. This is justified especially if taken into consideration the fact that, by comparison to the black people, the Indians did not share a Christian belief with the white dominating population and it was therefore harder for them to impose their will, let alone the set of laws promoted at the level of the state legislature. The existence of certain affinities was essential for the actual achievement of understanding between the master and the servant. It was important not to be hated by the slaves of the house, because it would only create constant discontent and anger, which would eventually explode in rebellion (Plantation Diary, 1770). In the case of Indian slaves, this could not have been achieved, especially because they had a completely different cultural and historical background, as well as a history of conflict with the white population.

The worsening of the situation for slaves in Virginia came as a result of the historical conditions, which marked the era. In the early beginnings of the institution of slavery, the legal framework for the condition of slaves was less rigid because the focus was both on servants as well as slaves. However, as servants coming from Europe free themselves from their indenture, they were perceived as possible competition for the white population and their trading opportunities. Therefore, the number of servants but most importantly of slaves in Virginia increased dramatically (Selected records relating to slavery in early Virginia, n.d.). Considering these aspects, the toughness of the laws regulating servitude and slavery increased as well, in order to have a better control over the lives and activities of black slaves in particular. In this sense, for instance, the status of a child could have been set only in connection to his mother's; thus, the legal system promoted slavery from one generation to another, with little possibility of achieving freedom. 18th century slave codes promoted precisely this attitude and strengthened the power and authority of the master over the life of its servants.

The period of time when this evolution took place is rather hard to determine. It can be said though that the process was an evolutionary one and depended greatly on the historical environment of the time. In this sense, there were various factors that led to the harshening of the legal framework. On the one hand, the debated over the interdiction of slave imports received wide attention due to the fact that there were contradictory stands. Some of the states considered the increase in the numbers of slaves to be troublesome and unbalancing the established equilibrium in the colonies, while other states demanded for the unrestrictive nature of this type of commerce. On the other hand, by the late 18th century, black slaves had begun to envisage the possibility of gaining their freedom on their own (Petition to the Massachusetts Legislative, 1787).

There are various reasons for actions undertaken at the legislative level by slave states such as South Carolina or Virginia. The limitation of slave movement, was an action in response to the growing threat related to fugitive slaves (Selected records relating to slavery in early Virginia, n.d.). The conditions at the time and the harsh regulations concerning black slaves made them go in search for a different life, especially in Northern states (Petition to Governor, Council, and House of Representatives of Massachusetts, 1773). Therefore, the Southerners were reluctant to offer any liberty that would somehow enable black people to gather and possibly plan insurrections or escape attempts. In addition, the tensions between the slaver states and the free ones were constantly growing because Free states were accusing slave ones of trying to use the slave population to increase its influence in the federal legislative body. In this sense, Northern states were somewhat ready to assist runaway slaves from South states.

Yet another reason, which influenced the way in which slaves were treated, was the simple segregation attitudes the white population had towards the black one. Black slaves were considered to be of inferior quality and were therefore treated as property goods and sold as merchandize (Some historical accounts of Guinea, 1771). Moreover, there were legal punishments for a black woman who committed fornication. This came to prove the moral reluctance of the white population to see black people as equal human beings, a perception that was transposed in the legal system as well.

The role slaves played in the determination of a rebellious south was important. The colonial era was a time in which new political and philosophical ideas emerged relating to the freedom of the human being, the equality among men, and the essential importance of human rights and liberties. The American Revolution was a historical example of the significance these ideal had for the emergence of the United States. Despite the fact that Republicanism advocated the spiritual and humane connection between all men who are created equal (Notes on the State of Virginia, 1788), the establishment of slavery as a common practice in the South denied slaves and indentured servants the rights enshrined in the Constitution. More precisely, taking into account the fact that the North was reluctant to actually exploit the African-American groups, the South had the financial benefits to consider and therefore advocated for an unlimited slave trade. Even so, though this ominous practice, fail to take into consideration the rights and moral values the American democracy was considered to rely upon.