Evolution of Slavery and Racial Prejudice in Virginia

Slavery and Racial Prejudice in Virginia
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Evolution of Slavery and Racial Prejudice in Virginia
Virginia is described as the origin of American slavery and has been known that way to date. In the early 19th century, the coal industry was dominant in Virginia among other states like Pennsylvania. Despite them having nearly the same amount of raw materials, Pennsylvania topped as the country’s leading mining state by 1860 (Bailyn, 2012). This led to it a flourishing in urban industrialization in Pennsylvania while Virginia remained an agricultural state. These difference in the state of the economy was largely attributed to the political interest of the political class. Slavery and technological changes were the main reason for the differences in their economic status (Bailyn, 2012). The political class is largely related to the poor performance of the coal industry as they were slave owners and holders.
The influence of the politics and planters ensured that the coal industry didn't flourish on the fear that it would compromise the value of their lands and enslaved properties. The political decisions of these slaveholders had a massive influence during reconstruction and beyond (Bailyn, 2012). Being majorly an agricultural state and less industrialization meant that more human labor would be sort for to work in the plantations. And with the political class and slaveholders ready to provide the labor steered the influx of slaves into Virginia. Purchases meant the ownership and the right to decide one's fate. This in turn ensured they enriched themselves. This automatically devalued the slaves turn them into possession. Hence racism can be linked with the slave trade, racism developed as a justification for the ability to buy people of a certain color and own them (Bailyn, 2012). Most of the slaves hailed directly from Africa, though some had already spent some time there and even understood the language and were familiar with European culture.
Through the first half of the 17th century, people of African and European origin lived and worked together, racial discrimination was insignificant and bore no importance. History documents that prior to the arrival of the Angolans in 1619 laborers of African origin were found working in the tobacco field alongside laborers of European origin or people of white color (Bailyn, 2012). There existed a harmonious co-existence between them and people of African descent. The presence of few Atlantic creoles among the arrivals was enough evidence that slavery and racial prejudice in the prior were not in existence. A massive decline in the number of laborers and demand for more sources of labor led to the planters turning to Africa for a source of manpower. This in turn led to Africans being captured and shipped through the Trans –Atlantic routes to reach overseas slave markets (Bailyn, 2012). This marked the beginning of the de facto slavery of Africans. Acquiring more slaves led to the emergence of a slave society.
The arrival of the Angolans in Virginia in 1619 significantly impacted the slavery of people of African descent. The demand for laborers to work on the...