By 1750, there were over 235,000 enslaved Africans in Colonial America. About 85% lived in the SOUTHERN COLONIES. Enslaved Africans made up about 40% of the South's population. The growth of slavery allowed plantation farming to expand throughout the South.
*Rise of the Southern Economy:
The biggest influence on the growth of African slaves in America was the explosion of the agricultural economy in the South. With the Native Americans dying in large numbers and the number of indentured servants not meeting demands for labor, the colonists turned to slaves. Not only were slaves cheaper labor that would increase profits for plantation owners, but they also had extensive knowledge of how to raise crops like tobacco, sugar and rice, as well as how to care for livestock. The number of blacks in the South rose dramatically in the 18th century, going from 8700 in 1700 to 31400 in 1715 to 80600 in 1730. By 1790, there were approximately 600,000 enslaved.
*Laws Governing Slavery:
As the Southern economy became reliant on slave labor, laws were enacted that would ensure the permanency of slave status and help to grow their numbers even more. For example, Virginia passed a law in 1662 that ruled that all children would have the status of their mother at birth. That meant that any child born from a slave woman would be born a slave and remain a slave until death. Slave owners could now breed their slaves and grow their labor force for free.
*BASED ON THE INFORMATION ABOVE AND YOUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT SLAVERY IN THE SOUTH.....
****ELABORATE ON WHY SLAVE LABOR CONTINUED TO GROW THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHERN COLONIES IN THE 1600 AND 1700S:
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