Factors that Contributed to African Enslavement in North America

U.S. Work and Labor Before the End of Reconstruction
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U.S. Work and Labor Before the End of Reconstruction
By the late 1600s, the fluid labor arrangement in the US had become more restrictive and formalized, with a form of racially (African) based slavery imposed in North America. Different factors might have contributed to this fluid arrangement that saw slavery become more restrictive and formalized in the south and some northern states. First and foremost, the sudden surge in agricultural production and demand raw material played a significant role in the development (Davis, 2006). This came on the eve of the American independence from the British imperial masters. The dawn of American independence did not however bring significant change as perpetuation of oppression and slavery persisted (Adelstein, 2012). The growth in the agricultural production fueled by industrial revolution led to a sudden surge in labor demand on white settler farms. The subsequent shortfall in labor necessitated the formation of the Royal shipment company that exported African Slaves to North America (Coombs, 2011). Africans were forcefully shipped to North America where they were sold to white settler farmers.
The second factor that might have contributed to the development was the emergence and growth of transatlantic slave trade in the 1600s (Davis, 2006). As the population of Africans increased, the colonial masters changed their strategy from indentured European servants to African slaves. Fueled by the unprecedented growth in mass agricultural production, Africans were shipped to Virginia where they were sold to work as indentured slaves together with their European counterparts who couldn’t afford travelling charges to North America. History documents that during this period, African slaves would work on the settler farms for a specified period of time after which they would be granted freedom (Smith& Paquette, 2012). Another critical factor that could have contributed to the development is the racial segregation that largely characterized the 1650s (Adelstein, 2012). Racial segregation saw Africans categorized as low class citizens who had no rights and privileges. And hence they were condemned to endless enslavement by their colonial white counterparts. African slaves were treated as the property of their colonial masters, and hence they were a valuable asset to their masters (Coombs, 2011). Another important factor that led to the development is the growth in salve population particularly due to a gradual decline in the number of white servitudes due to an increase in demand for skilled labor owing to the rise of the industrial revolution. The high demand for white servitude increased their price tag, thereby compelling the colonialists to shift to African labor which was considered as a cheaper alternative (Davis, 2006). The African slaves were considered inferior to their white masters who led to their cruel and brutal treatment. Moreover, colonial masters believed that African enslavement were necessary since the former acted as paternal figure to the latter. Thus black slaves endured hard labor and dilapidated working conditions on the expansiv...