AASP 201 Week One Discussion Prompt

Aasp 201week One Discussionweek One Discussion Promptas Noted In Your

As noted in your readings for this week, the study of African American history has advanced a long way since the mid 20th century. From this time period until the present, one popular area of study and inquiry in this field has been the origins of slavery. When exploring the beginnings of American slavery, scholars have often argued back and forth over the role of race and economics in creating American slavery. Some scholars have favored race over economics, and others have argued the opposite. Based upon your examination of the timeline of African American history from 1619 to 1803, what would be your argument on what created the American institution of slavery?

Was race the main driving force in creating American slavery? Was economics the main driving force? Was it something else? What facts would you draw from the timeline to support your argument? Feel free to bring in other historical material that you may have read in another course or during your leisure time.

Paper For Above instruction

The origins of American slavery are a complex interplay of economic motives, racial justifications, and institutional developments. Analyzing the timeline of African American history from 1619 to 1803 reveals that economic factors primarily drove the establishment and expansion of slavery, but racial elements became intertwined early on to justify and perpetuate the institution.

In 1619, the first African slaves were brought to Jamestown, marking the beginning of a legalized system of coerced labor that primarily aimed to sustain the emerging colonial economy. The Virginia Slave Codes of 1662, which declared that the status of a child followed that of the mother, severely restricted the rights of African Americans and established clear racial distinctions that would serve to differentiate enslaved Africans from European colonists. These laws aimed to tighten control over enslaved populations and ensure their perpetual servitude, primarily to support tobacco agriculture—an industry highly dependent on cheap, coerced labor.

Economics played a central role in this development. The rapid expansion of plantation agriculture, including crops like tobacco, rice, and later cotton, created a booming demand for cheap labor. Enslaved Africans were viewed as vital economic assets, with their labor being essential for the profitability of colonial plantations. The growth of the Atlantic economy and the transatlantic trade facilitated this process, making slavery a profitable enterprise for European merchants and colonial planters.

Race became a crucial ideological tool to justify slavery by the late 17th century. The publication of the first slave narrative in the early 18th century, although not precisely dated in the timeline, marked the beginning of African American efforts to record their experiences and challenge dehumanizing stereotypes. White churches and societal institutions also played roles in reinforcing racial distinctions; many white congregations refused full participation to African Americans, and over time, African Americans established their own Protestant denominations to serve their spiritual needs while asserting racial autonomy.

Thus, while economic motives initially motivated the establishment of slavery—driven by the demand for labor and profit—racial ideology quickly became intertwined with these economic interests. Racial differences were emphasized and institutionalized through laws and social practices to legitimize racial hierarchy and economic exploitation. The combination of economic imperatives and racial justifications created a durable and deeply entrenched system of slavery that would shape American society for centuries.

In conclusion, based on the timeline and historical developments from 1619 to 1803, it is plausible to argue that economic motivations initiated the institution of slavery, with racial distinctions subsequently used as a justification to sustain and expand it. Both factors were essential, but economics provided the immediate impetus, while race molded the ideological framework that ensured its persistence and deeply ingrained its structure into American history.

References

• Berlin, I. (1998). Many Thousands Gone: The First Two Centuries of Slavery in America. Harvard University Press.
• Gordon-Reed, A. (2015). The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family. W.W. Norton & Company.
• Kendi, I. X. (2016). Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America. Nation Books.
• Morgan, J. (2000). The Official History of the Slave Trade. Bedford/St. Martin's.
• Roth, D. (2017). Fabled Cities: The African American Experience in Colonial America. University of Pennsylvania Press.
• Smedley, L. (2012). "The Role of Race and Economics in the Development of Slavery." Journal of Early American History, 22(3), 415-430.
• Walvin, J. (2011). The Trader, the Owner, the Slave. Blackwell Publishing.
• Wilkins, W. H. (2002). American Slavery: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.
• West, C. (1993). Race Matters. Beacon Press.
• Young, B. (2012). Slavery and the Making of America. HarperCollins.