Origins of Slavery in Virginia

A detailed Summary of Origins of Slavery in Virginia


Slavery in Virginia was a trend that spread throughout the state. Many factors made slavery possible in Virginia. Some key factors that lead to the development of slavery was the supply of labor, the cost of labor, the life span of colonist, the fear of lower class rebellion, the legal structure, and racism.

The supply of labor in Virginia before the 1660's was mostly done my indentured servants. Indentured servants were males usually under 25, single, and lacked land in England and came to America for a new beginning. Indentured servant's contracts usually lasted three to five years and occasionally seven in some cases. Many indentured servants were treated poorly and often abused. These indentured servants would often write back to their home in England tell of their horrific treatment that was bestowed upon them. A shortage of indentured servants was also brought about by the Plague of 1665 which devastated the English population along with London Fire the following year which created a new need for


The fear of lower class rebellion also played a factor in slavery. Hundreds indentured servants were earning their freedom every year. These servants were usually young, armed men who demanded property of their own if they had to get if from rich landowners or neighboring Indians. Many landowners were scared by Bacon's Rebellion and this forced them to think about African slaves compared to indentured servants. African slaves were not promised land and therefore had no reason to rebel against their owners.

workers of all kinds to rebuild the capital. For these many reasons, the supply of indentured servants fell while the demand for labor rose.

After 1660 many laws were past that affected the legal structure of slaves. Laws were past that made Africans slaves for life and laws also made their children born into slavery. In 1676 a law was passed that forbid blacks to have indentured servants. By 1680 blacks were also not allowed to carry firearms. A law in 1692 made it illegal for white and blacks to marry and to engage in sex.

Some common words found in the essay are:
London Fire, Bacon's Rebellion, Slavery Virginia, England America, Africans Racism, indentured servants, slavery virginia, legal structure, african slaves, indentured servant, fear lower class, lead development slavery, lower class rebellion, class rebellion, supply labor, fear lower, lower class, development slavery, life span colonist, labor life span,

Approximate Word count = 706
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: History

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