Puritanism in America 1620-1750
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Response Paper: Week 1 Zach Pyle The growth of slavery in the southern colonies was due more too socio/cultural forces than economic necessity. The growth of slavery from 1619 until 1660 was an economic necessity rather than slavery growing from social or cultural forces. One reason why the growth of slavery in the southern colonies was an economic necessity was due to the fact that indentured servants were limited and too complicated to deal with. In the time period before slaves, plantation owners needed people to work so they came up with a system that allowed these plantation owners to buy lower class people’s ticket into the new world. These “lower class” people then had to become their “indentured servant” for an average of 7 years. Only around twenty percent actually served their full time of being a servant. Most of these servants ran off, and some of them died. So, this led to these plantation owners to import slaves and put them to work. The slaves then could work till they died. In 1640 laws had changed making slavery perpetual meaning the offspring of a black couple would become a slave as well. Technically it was a lot cheaper to get slaves because these plantation owners made more of a profit, plus they got to keep these slaves until they basically died of working. Slaves were a cheap labor source that could work that attracted the attention of plantation owners. Another reason why the growth of slavery was the resultant from en economic necessity rather than social or cultural forces was because of money. Money drove EVREYTHING back in the time period of “God, Glory, and Gold.” From finding a new land mass, to establishing a route to Asia for trade; everything Europeans did was because of money. These plantation owners wanted to get big names, and big money in the new world. They needed a cheap
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Puritanism in America 1620-1750
Transcript of Puritanism in America 1620-1750
Response Paper: Week 1
Zach Pyle
The growth of slavery in the southern colonies was due more too socio/cultural forces than economic necessity.
The growth of slavery from 1619 until 1660 was an economic necessity rather than slavery growing from social or cultural forces. One reason why the growth of slavery in the southern colonies was an economic necessity was due to the fact that indentured servants were limited and too complicated to deal with. In the time period before slaves, plantation owners needed people to work so they came up with a system that allowed these plantation owners to buy lower class people’s ticket into the new world. These “lower class” people then had to become their “indentured servant” for an average of 7 years. Only around twenty percent actually served their full time of being a servant. Most of these servants ran off, and some of them died. So, this led to these plantation owners to import slaves and put them to work. The slaves then could work till they died. In 1640 laws had changed making slavery perpetual meaning the offspring of a black couple would become a slave as well. Technically it was a lot cheaper to get slaves because these plantation owners made more of a profit, plus they got to keep these slaves until they basically died of working. Slaves were a cheap labor source that could work that attracted the attention of plantation owners.
Another reason why the growth of slavery was the resultant from en economic necessity rather than social or cultural forces was because of money. Money drove EVREYTHING back in the time period of “God, Glory, and Gold.” From finding a new land mass, to establishing a route to Asia for trade; everything Europeans did was because of money. These plantation owners wanted to get big names, and big money in the new world. They needed a cheap source of labor instead of indentured servants. So they chose African Americans because they stood out from a white society and they were CHEAP, FREE LABOR. Once these plantation owners had these big plantations, and slaves they started to make a name for themselves in the political world because they had money. This is just another reason on why the growth of slavery was driven by a need for money. Everyone wanted to get rich, and everyone still does.
