British gave supplied to most of the slaves in North American colonies during the colonial period. The slaves were brought from their native homeland in African countries where the British had colonized before as well as many Native Americans were also forced to work as slaves for the colonies.
EXPLANATION:
There are some facts about slavery in North America during the colonial period:
1.Many Native Americans were also arrested and forced into slavery during the 1600s.
2.Slaves became wealth and social status symbols for plantation owners in the South.
3.Not all of Africans who lived in the American colonies were slaves. About eight percent of African-Americans were free in 1790.
4.In the mid-1700s, about half of the people who lived in the southern colony were slaves.
5.When John Oglethorpe founded the Georgia colony, he made slavery unlawful. However, this law was cancelled in 1751.
6.Many slaves were field hands working on tobacco fields in the southern colony. These slaves worked very hard and were often treated badly. Other slaves were housemaids. These slaves did work around the house or helped in the master's shop.
7.Slaves who worked in agriculture and plantations lived in small houses near fields. Slaves’ houses were lack of privacy, they sometimes lived alone in the attic above the kitchen or stable.
8.Field slaves were commonly given a set of clothes that must last a year. These clothes were similar to any colonial peasant's style of work. Female slaves wore long dresses and male slaves wore trousers and loose shirts. Slaves who worked at home often dress better, usually wearing their master's old clothes.
9.Slaves were treated differently relying on their masters. Generally, field slaves were treated worse than house slaves. Field slaves were sometimes whipped and beaten. They were forced to work for long hours with insufficient rest time.
10.Slaves had no rights and were under the commands of their masters for 24/7. They could be sold or bought at any time and rarely could live together with their family. Children were often sold so they could work, never seeing their parents again.
LEARN MORE
If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, we recommend you to also take a look at the following questions:
•In the beginning, Slaves were brought to British North America for?
•How does Douglass portray the effects of slavery on masters and slaves?
KEYWORDS: Slaves, North America, Colonial Period
Subject : Social Studies
Class : 10-12
Sub-Chapter: North America Colonialization
