The colonization of the population in America of past centuries is of critical importance to study. Attention should be paid to the reasons why it occurred in the country; colonies were more reliant on slave labor than others and how this aspect affected their development. Moreover, when considering the topic of colonization, it is essential to turn to what transformations took place in the labor system after 1619 and the transition from an indentured servitude system to a slave system. The study of these characteristics of the colonial system will take place on the basis of Fogleman’s book titled “From slaves, convicts, and servants to free passengers: The transformation of immigration in the era of the American revolution.”
First, it is necessary to consider what caused the growth of the slave labor system in the United States of America and how it happened. The main reason for this aspect was the increase in the need for labor-intensive crops. These may include such as tobacco, rice, and indigo (Manjapra, 2020). Initially, the owners of these plantations relied on the services of hired workers, but over time their number began to decrease. Consequently, the second reason for the growth of the colonial system was the movement of many immigrants. Fogleman states that “these migrations of slaves, convicts, and servants played a critical role in the demographic, economic, social, and cultural development of the colonies” (1998, p. 44). Thus, this motivated the transatlantic slave trade, which brought Africans to the colonies, where they were sold into slavery to work on plantations (Pollio, 2022). At the same time, enslaved people immigrated without any concern regarding the permanent loss of freedom.
During the colonial system, the number of enslaved people was unevenly distributed across territories, which was the result of the emergence of colonies more reliant on slave labor than others. Among such colonial regions, Virginia, Maryland, and South Carolina were the most significant (Wax, 2019). Enslaved Africans were working on the production of tobacco as a primary industry of the territories (Murray, 2022). This is because the economies of these states were heavily dependent on agriculture, in which a large number of slaves were involved. This reliance on slave labor had a great influence on the development of the colonies. It contributed to the growth of agricultural activity, which was the result of the enrichment of the colonizers. In addition, there was an increase in the need for enslaved people, which provoked an even greater transatlantic slave trade.
At the beginning of the 17th century, the colonial slave labor system experienced a significant number of changes. One of them was the provision of opportunities for slaves working for the colonialists, which led to the creation of opposition by laws. Therefore, enslaved people began to be treated as property and individuals who did not have any rights or freedoms. This led to a gradual transformation in the country from an indentured servitude labor system to a slave system. In addition, it contributed to the spread and strengthening of racism in the country.
In conclusion, the colonization period of the 17th century played a significant role in the formation of the United States of America. This is because, during this period, there was a transformation from indentured servitude labor to a slave system, which motivated the strengthening of racism and bias. The growth of these circumstances was caused by the need for free labor to work in agricultural areas and growing migration. In many American territories, such as Virginia, Maryland, and South Carolina, slavery accelerated economic development and growth, which contributed to the strengthening of the colonial system.
References
Fogleman, A. S. (1998). From slaves, convicts, and servants to free passengers: The transformation of immigration in the era of the American revolution. The Journal of American History, 85(1), 43-76. Web.
Manjapra, K. (2020). Colonialism in global perspective. Cambridge University Press.
Murray, R. (2022). Complexion of empire in Natchez: race and slavery in the Mississippi borderlands by Christian pinned, and: Blurring the lines of race and freedom: mulattoes and mixed bloods in English colonial America by AB Wilkinson. Early American Literature, 57(3), 999-1007. Web.
Pollio, G. (2022). Labour. In The Rise and Fall of Britain’s North American Empire: The Political Economy of Colonial America (pp. 15-45). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Wax, D. D. (2019). Black immigrants: the slave trade in colonial Maryland. In Slave Trade and Migration (pp. 444-460). Routledge.