Week Two Discussions: Week 2 Discussion (50 Points)

Week Two Discussionsweek 2 Discussion 50 Points5 Of The Final Grade

Describe how the institution of slavery in North America developed from 1619 to 1789. What laws, beliefs, and customs shaped it as a "normal" part of life in North America, becoming an integral part of what became the United States in 1776 (Declaration of Independence) and in 1789 with the passage of the Constitution.

Paper For Above instruction

The development of slavery in North America from 1619 to 1789 was a complex process deeply intertwined with the economic, legal, and social frameworks that emerged during this period. Initially, slavery in North America began with the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in Jamestown in 1619. These individuals were subjected to coerced labor primarily for economic gains, and over time, the institution of slavery became institutionalized through laws and customs that reinforced racial hierarchies.

Legal measures played a pivotal role in shaping slavery as a "normal" part of life. The Virginia Slave Codes of 1705, for example, codified the status of enslaved Africans and their descendants, legally defining them as property and establishing harsh penalties for their resistance. Such laws dehumanized enslaved individuals and ensured the perpetuation of slavery across colonies. These statutes reflected prevailing beliefs that racial differences justified the subjugation of Africans and their descendants, embedding racism into the legal fabric of the emerging nation.

Beliefs and customs further reinforced slavery as an accepted institution. White societal norms often portrayed Africans as inferior, thereby rationalizing their enslavement. Religious justifications, particularly from Protestant and Christian doctrines, were employed to legitimize slavery, asserting that it was part of divine will. Additionally, customs related to racial segregation and the familial bonds of enslaved communities helped normalize slavery as an integral part of economic and social life.

The legal and cultural acceptance of slavery persisted through the colonial period and influenced the founding documents of the United States. The Declaration of Independence in 1776 did not explicitly condemn slavery, and many founding fathers, such as Thomas Jefferson, owned enslaved persons. The U.S. Constitution of 1787, ratified in 1789, included compromises that protected slavery, such as the Three-Fifths Compromise and provisions for the continued importation of enslaved Africans, demonstrating how deeply slavery was woven into the fabric of the new nation’s governance.

In conclusion, slavery's development from 1619 to 1789 was driven by a combination of laws, beliefs, and customs that dehumanized Africans and justified their forced labor. These elements became deeply embedded in the societal and political structures of what would become the United States, shaping its historical trajectory and racial dynamics for centuries to come.

References

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• Raboteau, Albert J. Slave Religion: The "Invisible Institution" in the African American Experience. Oxford University Press, 2004.
• Wood, Peter H. Black Majority: Negroes in Colonial South Carolina from 1670 through the Stono Rebellion. W.W. Norton & Company, 1974.
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• Davis, David Brion. Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World. Oxford University Press, 2006.
• Finkelman, Paul. "Slavery and the Founding Fathers." The Historian, vol. 66, no. 4, 2004, pp. 764–773.
• Eltis, David, and David Richardson, editors. The Transatlantic Slave Trade: A Database on CD-ROM. Cambridge University Press, 2008.
• Peabody, Sue. Children and Families in Colonial American Literature. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2001.