Slavery was not a new and unique phenomenon in America. It had long been established as a system of labor exploitation during ancient times. The ancient world consisted of well-organized slave societies of one form or another. The great civilizations of Egypt, Greece, Rome, and even in the world of pre-colonial America had slavery existing as an institution. Throughout the recorded history, capturing and selling enslaved individuals had been an integral part of human society. Muslim traders from Northern Africa and the Middle East had captured, purchased, and sold enslaved Central Europeans and Africans in a slave trade network that captured much of Europe and Asia before the Atlantic trade, which saw millions of Africans being ferried to America. As such, there is nothing beyond the ordinary with regard to slavery as a system of exploitation and labor when slaves were brought from West Africa to America by the Spanish and Portuguese in 1503 to replace the Native Americans in the gold mines.
However, the impact that the enslavement of the vast numbers of Africans brought to America was phenomenal. A new global economy emerged due to this Atlantic trade. An international world was also modeled. The Atlantic world was the only one of its kind, linking three major continents with the consequence of developing North America and Europe while sinking Africa and other parts of the Americas into poverty. The emergence of the United States and Western Europe as dominant nations can be rightfully attributed to the profits made due to the enslavement of Africans.
Even though profitable at the time of the American Revolution, slavery was not an all-perverse institution in North America’s British colonies. (Mark, 2008) Within the colonies of Virginia and Maryland, slavery was slowly diminishing even though it prospered massively in the low country areas. The great constitutional debate in the late 1870s brought a common assumption that slavery was to end in the next century gradually as people were involved with picturing what the new nation would resemble.
The British had prohibited the sale and importation of slaves into its colonies in America even though it still continued. After the settlement of the British in the northern colonies, the need for labor was sparked by the importation of African slaves. Originally, just like their poor English counterparts, the Africans were considered and treated as indentured servants. As such, they would have been freed after several years of service. However, a system of slavery based on race emerged, and by the end of the century, Africans were to be considered slaves for life. This aspect was to haunt America during the twentieth century as it was during this period that racial prejudices emerged strongly. This was a major effect of the slave trade. It is interesting to note that prior to the massive enslavement of the Africans, the concept of race was not a major issue.
The growth of slavery in America was mainly attributed to the internal, domestic slave trade as slaves were transported to the lower south from the upper south. Slaveholders became wealthy, purchased plantations, and moved their families and slaves to these farms. The major effect of slavery on the United States was thus the development of a multicultural society that still continues to exist side by side.
Work Cited
Mark, R. (2008) Slavery and the United States. Washington: Washington University Press.