Slavery+in+the+American+Colonies

 Slavery in the American Colonies

**Slave Trade and Auctions- **

As you probably know, in the American Colonies, slaves were sold and bought from master to master at markets. Slaves were treated like material objects and are considered property. Therefore, it is common to buy and sell slaves. For some people, slave trade was a business and they treated it as if it was a car auction. For those people, the majority of the economy was based off of the buying and the selling of slaves. But just like you could buy a slave, you could also sell them when they became too old or unable to fulfill their duties. At the auctions slaves were made to look their best by being placed on platforms or revolving, spinning stands. Also, some buyers insisted that the slaves be stripped naked so the buyer could see exactly what they were purchasing, with no surprises. The buyer and dealer would discuss the slaves while inspecting the potential purchase, and the buyer could inspect any part of the body they wanted by request. Each slave had a place card around their neck describing them with details. Although the slaves would be auctioned off, and the buyer with the highest bid got the deal. Prices varied according to age, skill, qualities, and overall appearance. Slaves that had valuable skills were priced higher; sometimes as much as 12 times more than other slaves! Some of these skills included ability to read or write. Female slaves were auctioned off for less than male slaves, unless they had personal attractions. During the auctions it was often very emotional for the slaves, as sometimes; they were to be torn apart from their family: mother, father, spouses, children, brothers, and sisters. After being bought, if the slave had some sort of defect that wasn’t made known at the auction, the buyer had to take back the slave within six months, or it was the buyer’s loss.

[|This is a picture of a slave being showed that he is not treated like a real person, but rather an outcast and treated differently.]

** Slaves Role in the Revolutionary War- **

Slaves played a huge role in the Revolutionary War. All colonists, both black and white, felt they had to come together to fight against the British and their unfair rules. The British were the first to use African American slaves in the war for troops. Later, General George Washington, who refused to use blacks for troops at first, started to recruit black soldiers because the demands of the war changed in his mind, so the slaves began to fight. Both slaves and free blacks stood against the British, and out of the 500,000 African Americans in British America, all but 25,000 slaves were enslaved. Although most were against the British, still, tens of thousands of slaves escaped the plantations in the south and thousands fought for the British.  African Americans in search of freedom from slavery served on both sides during the Revolution. Before the war was over more than 5,000 African Americans from every state except Georgia and South Carolina served in the Revolutionary army. Some slaves, who fought in the place of their master, were promised freedom in return for their service, which they never were granted. After the war, slaves petitioned and requested their freedom using the words of the Declaration of Independence , which is the document freeing America from British rule and declaring America and independent country. However, the American Revolution and the American colonies' fight against British did not bring slavery to an end. The framers of the Constitution struck a compromise allowing the slave trade to continue until 1808. Slavery remained important to the economy of the new nation, and after the Revolution, it became more popular in the South.

 McGranahan, Ronald W. "African American Participation...." //The American Revolution Home Page//. 2004. The American Revolution, Web. 7 Jan 2010. < [] >.

"Roman Empire & Colosseum." //Slave Auction//. 2008. Roman Colosseum, Web. 7 Jan 2010. < [] >.