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This page introduces a series
of articles on African American slavery in America. Follow the links within
the text to other articles on the topic.
This page is printable |
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Early European settlers
in America had a lot of work to do, but not many people to do it. To
solve the problem, they brought slaves from Africa to do the work. Slavery
was a cruel experience that has left lasting effects on American life.
Slavery began in the U.S.
Colonies in the early 1600’s and lasted until 1865. By that time,
the slave population was approximately 4 million people. 95% of slaves
in America lived in the Southern states. European slave traders kidnapped
people from Africa and shipped them to America. Slaves were chained
so that they could not escape or fight back. They were sent by ship
across the Atlantic Ocean. The terrible voyage, called the “Middle
Passage,” lasted up to a month. As many as half of the slaves
died along the way.
The Hard Life of a
Slave
In America, Africans were
sold and taken to new homes, where they would be forced to work, usually
for more than twelve hours a day. Most slaves worked in the fields,
picking tobacco or cotton. Slaves who did not work or tried to run away
were beaten and sometimes even killed. Slaves were given simple shacks
and clothes and food to eat, but this did not make up for what was taken
away from them. (Read
more about the life of a slave)
By law, slaves were considered
property that could be bought and sold. Families were often split up
and never saw each other again. Slaves were forbidden to speak their
native African languages or practice their native religions. Slave owners
could kill a slave without punishment. Slaves were not allowed to own
property, to gather for meetings, to marry whom they chose, or even
to learn to read and write.
Spirituals, Narratives,
and The Underground Railroad
Slaves did manage to find
ways to enrich their lives and keep connected to each other. One way
was through music. Slaves often sang when they worked, or at church,
which the white owners encouraged. These songs, called “spirituals,”
became a vital part of American life. Music such as jazz and blues has
its roots in slave spirituals. (Read
more about spirituals) Some slaves managed to publish “slave
narratives,” stories that taught people what the experience of
a slave was like. (Read
more about slave narratives)
Many slaves fought back
or ran away to the Northern states where slavery was legal. Both black
and white people opposed to slavery formed the “Underground Railroad,”
which were secret routes of safe houses – particularly in Ohio
-- that sheltered slaves and helped them reach the North. (Read
more about The Underground Railroad)
The End of Slavery
in America
By the 1800’s, many
white Americans viewed slavery as wrong. “Abolitionists”
were people who worked to ban slavery. However, people in the South
depended on slave workers. They knew that if they lost slave labor,
they would lose most of their wealth.
Disagreement on the issue
became heated. In 1861, the Civil War broke out. The North won, and
slavery was made illegal in 1865. This was done in two steps –
first President Abraham Lincoln created a statement freeing slaves called
the “Emancipation Proclamation.” After that, the U.S. Constitution
was changed. The 13th Amendment declared that from that time on, slavery
would always be illegal in the United States. (Read
more about the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment)
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