Benefit Of Slavery Essay

Did the use of slavery create more benefits or problems for the nation? Slavery played a crucial role in the early years of our developing nation. With a growing need for workers, the colonists resorted to slaves shipped over from Africa in the triangular trade. The benefits of slavery were tremendous. The “free” labor allowed for the nation’s economy to boom. On the other hand, slavery also created serious problems. The colonists treated the Africans like animals. Over time, this destroyed the relationship between whites and blacks leading to a social discrimination. It would eventually lead to a war which would add to the already gruesome number of casualties resulting from slavery. In 1619, the Dutch introduced the first captured Africans to America, planting the seeds of a slavery system that evolved into a nightmare of abuse and cruelty that would ultimately divide the nation.

Virginia and Maryland operated under the headright system which encouraged landowners to bring indentured servants from overseas by offering land for every person they bring. Although this lessened the need for workers, it still did not solve the problem. In 1619, the first African slaves were brought to the colony of Jamestown with the purpose of working on the tobacco plantations. From here, slavery spread throughout America and they were used for a wide variety of purposes ranging from farming to housework. By the end of the 18th century, an estimated number of 6 million to 7 million slaves were imported to the New World. For many years, the slaves would work on agriculture throughout the United States.

After the American Revolution, many colonists began to link their oppression by the British to the oppression of black slaves. Many of these colonists called for the abolition of