1. Slavery in America

2. Table of Contents
• History of Slavery
• The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade
• Slavery in America
(Click Title to go to Content)

3. History of Slavery

4. When Did Slavery Start?
• Slavery has existed throughout history
– All People, Blacks, Whites, etc.
• The first slaves were introduced to the
western hemisphere by the Spanish and
Portuguese around 1500.
• Between 1500 and 1865 (the year the civil war
ended) between 9-12 million were brought to
the western hemisphere

6. Why Africans?
• Why not Native Americans?
– Disease
– Knowledge of local geography
• Easier to run away
– Military Resistance

7. Indentured Servants
• Plantation owners would pay for Europeans to
come to America and in return they would be
slaves for 3-7 years.
• Problems:
– Easier to run away (blended in)
– High turnover rate

8. Click picture to return to Table of Contents

9. Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

14. •Slave ships
averaged 200
slaves
• The trip took 3-6
weeks
•15-20% died
•Ratio of Males to
females, 2:1
•10% Children

16. Slave Auctions

18. Click on the slaves to go to the Table of contents and see what their
lives were like in America

19. Slavery in America

20. Slave Codes
• Couldn’t vote, own firearms, own land.
• Not allowed to gather in large groups (ex.
church).
• Required to meet a curfew.
• Illegal to learn to read or write.
• Couldn’t testify in court.

23. Living Conditions

25. •If a slave owner killed his slave there was usually no
consequences.
•They were considered property

26. African-American Resistance to Slavery
• “Passive” and “Active”

27. Passive Resistance
• Faking sick.
• Lie, plead ignorance, pretend to forget.
• “Work Slowdown”
• Do something wrong on purpose.
• Break tools “accidentally”

28. Active resistance
• Theft:
– Chickens, money, watches, etc.
• Abuse and/or kill farm animals
• Arson
• Running away
• Revolt
– 100s, mostly small and spur of the moment.

29. Problems
• If you ran away where would you go?
– Slave Patrols
– Go North? Very difficult.
– Go West? Possible but no guarantee of freedom.
– Limited knowledge of geography.

31. Life in the South
Stereotypes of the south: either rich plantation owners
or hillbillies.
Rich Plantation
Hillbillies
owners
The reality was that
most people in the south
were right in the middle.
76% of whites in the south did NOT
own slaves

32. So why fight the Civil War
-Permanent White Upper class
W
B -Permanent Black Lower class
Rich
W/B