Regional Variation

Question: Describe the regional variations of slavery throughout Britain’s North American colonies. How did the development of and atitudes toward the institution differ in each area?

During the 13 colonies, slavery was a necessity to the white owners because of the work that was being done for them. In my readings, I know that the African Americans were being treated very low and did all of the dirty work for their owners. But during this time in which slavery existed in the 13 colonies, the white man did not want to give them up that easily because of the money they were making at the time. I will continue to provide a list of reasons why slavery was needed in those colonies and explain how they did it.

Slavery in the 13 colonies was really not an issue in the South until after the Revolutionary War took place. Due to the wanting of slaves in the colonies, slaves made up 20% of the population. Slavery at first was not needed in North America but ended up in other countries that contributed in the Middle Passage that wanted slaves, sugar, rice, cotton etc. Slavery in the South was much needed for slaves because of the growing of tobacco and other products that were growing at the time and were so popular. Slavery in the North was essentially different because they were not needed as agriculture workers but as domestic servants, dock workers, sailors, coachmen, etc.

In closing, slaves hated being treated this way but listening to their owners and doing the jobs they tell them to do was the only way they could stay alive. In each colony, the slaves were doing their jobs and between the North and the South, they were being told to work in the ways that their masters told them to work. Some would work in the fields and some would work in the houses. In all, slavery was a tough time during the colonies and it would continue for another hundred years.