Why+did+slavery+grow+to+be+such+an+important+institution+in+Colonial+America,+and+how+did+it+divide+North+and+South+in+Colonial+America?++n.f.

Why did slavery grow to be such an important institution in Colonial America, and how did it divide North and South in Colonial America?

Slavery, although highly immoral and unethical, because of the mistreatment of blacks, helped to mold Colonial America. Slaves were less maintenance then white, indentured servants, they weren't paid in wages, and had more skills.   Before the use of African slaves, white, indentured servants were more popular. White servant's were cheaper than African slaves, and when a plantation owner brought an indentured servant across the Atlantic, he was paid 50 acres of land from the head-right system. However, the white servant's were growing tired of their harsh living conditions, and hungered for their own freedom, and chance to become wealthy. One of these servants, Nathaniel Bacon, organized a rebellion bigger than that of any rebellion of black slaves in all of history. After Bacon's rebellion, plantation owners were more partial to African slaves because they were less maintenance. They had a high immunity to the diseases of white men, unlike the Native American's in the area, they were hard workers, and some even had experience farming rice.   Tobacco, the main cash crop in that time, was very labor intensive and time consuming. The slaves helped lessen the work load for the plantation owners, who were more partial to the life of a gentleman. The more tobacco planted, the more possibility for profit. When more and more tobacco was planted, the desire for more slaves was higher.   Slavery was an influential occurrence, and even split the colonies into Northern, and Southern regions because of economical differences, different infrastructure and ways of life.   Although slaves were very popular in the southern colonies, the northern colonies didn't have much drive to buy and sell slaves. They had small farms, usually with food products, that weren't large enough to support slaves. The northern colonies typically focused more on fishing, and selling wares. The north had large cities, filled with schools and merchant shops.   The south was more focused on large plantations. There were few cities and schools, the main job in the south was managing a plantation. What better way to learn to manage a plantation, then on a plantation?   Because of these differences infrastructual, and economical, the gap between the north and the south grew greatly during the rise of the African Slave.

by nathan frye