To Mr. Sisk. Thank you for teaching me how to research.

Slavery has been ingrained in society since before the days of Egypt; indeed, Hebrew people themselves had a type of indentured servant during the days of Joseph and before. However, few types of slavery showed the disrespect and cruelty displayed in early American History.

The American slave trade actually started before America was even colonized. In and before the 15th century, slave routes from sub-Saharan Africa had already been establish through the Sahara to supply slaves to and around the Mediterranean. Then in 1460 Portuguese expeditions started settlements on the Cape Verde Islands (south of the Canary Islands, west of modern day Senegal). The Cape Verde Islands were totally un-inhabitable on the coast line, but there interiors were filled with lush, green, untapped valleys. Although they were likely unaware of it, they had chosen to settle in what would one day develop into a very popular trade route; the Triangle Trade. From this location, the Portuguese could easily capture slaves from nearby Africa to use in their own agrarian culture. By 1466, This area had established a reputation for slave trade: Selling human cargo to go north to Madeira, Portugal and Spain. Over time, this business became so lucrative that the area became known as "The Slave Coast." This was still many years before the America's became involved with slavery.

The first slaves arrived on American soil in 1619. A Dutch ship traded a undisclosed number of slaves for food. Once farmers realize how profitable the tobacco industry was going to be, and how the hardiness of the black slave could help, (colonist had tried to make American Indians slaves, but the Indians were many times either to willful to be slaves and would kill themselves, or were so susceptible to European disease they would die), slavery became legal in Virginia and Maryland. It was soon the foundation of the Southern agrarian economy.

Slavery actually grew slowly at first, but by the time the18th century Triangle Trade (mentioned above) became a constant trade route, the practice of slavery grew quickly. The Triangle Trade was a win, win, win, situation for the owners of slave ships. Ships would leave Liverpool or Bristol with cargo such as fire arms, Rum, cotton goods, metal trinkets and beads which were in high demand on the slave coast. After trading the items for slaves and making a profit, they would take the long voyage across the Atlantic to the West Indies (which was to the America's as the Cape Verde Islands was to Africa as far as the slave trade). Then a bigger profit would be made trading the slaves for molasses that would be sold to make Rum in England and the triangle would continue. During the 17th and 18th centuries, African American slaves lived in all of England's North American colonies and between 600,000 and 650,000 Africans had been forcibly transported to North America.

Slavery became so important to the economic livelihood of the colonies, that in the year 1660 the colonies began enacting laws that defined and regulated slave relations. Before this, some slaves were getting freed through loopholes; claiming they were indentured servants a demanding freedom after years of service. Law makers wanted to make certain that slaves could be property for life; thus insuring their financial prosperity.

Although more and more people complained about the indecency of slavery as time went on, the travesty of it continued. Between the 1660's and the 1770's the colonist felt they had a bigger concern; the unfair treatment from the British. Some even favored staying under British rule; fearing the colonies could not survive without their support. It became clearer and clearer as time passed, that something was going to need to happen or war might be the outcome. Therefore, a meeting was held to try and avoid this conflict. The First Continental Congress was held on Sept. 5th, 1774 in the hopes that America could somehow receive fair treatment from Britain. In this meeting, America's founding fathers laid out demands for England and it's king; they were requesting fairness rather then independence. It is evident that even then the wrongfulness of slavery may have been weighing on the delegates' minds. In the Continental Association, which was to be an agreement the American Colonies created to present to England, one of the provisions were that the colonies would stop the participation in slave trade effective Dec. 1st, 1774. Whether that was done as a political move or a moral one, I do not know. Yet, Britain rejected the Congresses demands and fighting broke out between Massachusetts farmers and British soldiers in Lexington and Concord in April 1775. So a second Continental Congress was held on May 10th, 1775. In this meeting the Congress no longer had negotiations on their minds:They officially declared war and the revolution had begun. That eventually led to the signing of The Declaration of Independence and the drafting of America's first constitution; The Articles of Confederation.

These times and the signing of all these documents was not only crucial to the birth of our nation, but to the death of slavery in our country. Unfortunately, young America was still in such a mess that the topic of slavery was once again put on a back burner.

After the Revolutionary war (1775-1783), America suffered it's first depression. The Articles of Confederation left to much power in the individual colonies who had their own currency. What begin to happen was businesses in the industrial states like New York who made fabric out of cotton would order raw cotton from agrarian states like Virginia then refuse to pay in any currency. The Virginian farmer would then report this to the Virginian courts who then contacted the New York courts which would side with the New York Businessman. It was apparent that our first Constitution, The Articles of Confederation, was not going to work as drafted. To make matters worst, when the men left for war their work on the farms and at their businesses stopped; however, like today, their debt didn't. Many thought that when the war ended money troubles would not be a problem because they were being paid well in Continental Dollars; a federal currency that the colonies had once promised to honor. Now that they were home, nobody honored the continental and land owners started to foreclose on these men who had given life and limb for independence. There were back taxes, and back rent, but no money to pay. Many were thrown into debtors prison. No one knows what might have happened if not for the actions of Daniel Shay in 1786. He was so outraged by the injustice following the war that he led a bold and fierce uprising against the government; being so bold as to enter court rooms to rob people of money and property. The young America and the Founding Fathers had known something needed to be done, Mr. Shay's action convinced them to do it now. So in 1787, not 1776, the Constitution of the United States of America was drafted. So where did that leave slavery? At the same time of the drafting of the Constitution, a final agreement was made that the topic of slavery would not be discussed for 20 years; again because of the fear that it could be the economic defeat of America. Indeed, some southern delegates refused to be a part of the present constitution if this agreement was not made.

So then it was as of January 1, 1808, through legislation, slavery finally ended.

I realize that it took a lot of American History to answer your questions about slavery; yet, many people seem to forget, African American History is American History. Still, somehow, I look back on it's evil past and I still love what America is today. I love freedom of speech, the right to vote and the right to the pursuit of happiness: Although I hate the Idea of the unfairness to the native American and the African slave who's blood was shed and backs were broken to bring us to this point. I look back on American History conflicted; do I dislike our past? Yes. Do I like being an American now? Yes. I can't change the past nor carry on hate, hate just leads to the festering of wounds. My history is what it is, both American and African American. All I can do is live my life as ethical and moral as I can today so that my forefathers of all nations can hopefully look upon me and say, "My sacrifice was not in vain."

BOOKS:

The World Book Encyclopedia: (Ci-Cz-4) Chicacga, IL. 2004.

Schmidt, Steffen W., Mack C. Shelley, Barbara A. Bardes. American Government and Politics Today: Stamford, CT. Wadworth/Thomson Learning. 2001.

INTERNET:

http://innercity.org/holt/slavechron.html: 4/08/08

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_the_United_States: 4/9/08

http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ac41#2631: 4/9/08

Photos courtesy wikipedia.org.