History Response to Post Discussion History Essay Paper

Make Response to the Lead-Off Question and Answer

Instructor's Lead-Off Question:  Discuss the following historical thesis: that New York was immune to the main characteristics of North Atlantic Trading System since that region's economy did not involve a slavery component.

Instructor's Lead-Off Response: When one examines the North Atlantic Trading System, a close analysis determines that the crux of that system was indeed slavery.  What developed into the triangular trade patterns among Europe, Africa and the Americas, the key element was slavery and that collateral economic products such as rum, mollasses, sugar cane or tobacco was directly tied to slavery.  For example, if one looks at the Chesapeake and Carolinas economies, agricultural production was based on labor-intensive crops such as tobacco or indigo that required a slave-driven plantation system.  In New England, such an agricultural system did not exist.  Farms were family-owned and operated, needing no slaves.  New York farms did not require slaves since, unlike the southern plantations, did not operate as competitive entities; in fact they operated more as cooperatives given the role of the local Anglican and Dutch Reformed Churches.  Furthermore, in terms of general morality, there was no tolerance for slavery.  Other regional industries such as ship transportation required no slaves.  Therefore, one can conclude that New York was immune to the slave practicing tendencies of the North Atlantic trading system given the region's unique economic and religious characteristics.