| Perhaps the truth about African American history | | | | demand for slaves, they were: an urgent quest |
| was the heavy price paid for development in the | | | | for more land and an economy based upon profit. |
| New World. Maybe if Columbus had not set sail | | | | Thus, African American slave workers became |
| and discovered that the world was indeed round, | | | | highly prized commodities in a system which was |
| history would not bear a burden as heavy as that | | | | mostly dependent on manual labor. The entire |
| of slavery. Nevertheless, due to the fact that | | | | southern American economy and the states in |
| economies were expanding daily, and product | | | | that warm region required laborers to work on |
| demand was growing hand in hand, slavery and | | | | the plantations of rice, indigo, tobacco, sugar cane, |
| slave trade proved to be the best source of | | | | and cotton. Other slaves labored as dock |
| supply for this dilemma. | | | | workers, craft workers, and servants. Slaves in |
| The simple truth is that African Americans had a | | | | the northern American region labored on small |
| difficult life. For the Africans on American soil, their | | | | farms and as skilled and unskilled workers in |
| horrendous journey started with the developing | | | | factories and along the coast as shipbuilders, |
| territorial colonies at a time when workers were | | | | fishermen, craftsmen, and helpers of tradesmen. |
| needed to keep the economy of America solvent. | | | | Slavery on American soil grew at a rapid and |
| In order to satisfy this need indentured servants | | | | steady rate. By 1750, there were more than |
| were brought to America at Jamestown, Virginia. | | | | 200,000 African slaves in America. Half a decade |
| Additionally, poor whites also worked during this | | | | after African American slaves totaled an amazing |
| period as indentured servants. A "contract" | | | | 700,000 in number. In fact in South Carolina, |
| declared that this service would last from four to | | | | African American slaves outnumbered the white |
| seven years thereupon would be their freedom. | | | | population, and they composed more than half of |
| During this early period, some of the first | | | | the populations in the states of Maryland and |
| enslaved Africans worked their way out of this | | | | Virginia. The number of slaves over the land was |
| system and became free tradesmen and | | | | growing rapidly and there was only so much that |
| property owners on American soil. | | | | could have been done to keep them suppressed. |
| However, two main factors escalated the | | | | |