2006-08-17 14:58:41 · 4 answers · asked by Shundria G 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Geography
Colonial settlements in the US? Not much, really. Most slaves then were Whites who indentured themselves to pay debts or to pay for their passage to the New World.
Slavery didn't become a huge deal in the US until the cotton gin made commercial production of cotton profitable -- but only if there was plenty of cheap labor to work the fields. The people who came up with this plan knew that it would never work if they tried it with Whites (there weren't enough Americans to do it, and trying it with immigrants from Europe might well have started a war). They tried it with Native Americans first, but keeping someone who can blend into the native population and knows the land better than you do from escaping doesn't work so well. So they tried it with Africans -- who didn't know the land and stood out among Whites and Native Americans alike -- and the rest is history.
2006-08-17 15:13:17 · answer #1 · answered by D'archangel 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Gee, no hiding the fact this is a homework question. *insert rolling eyes* Are you intending to copy the answers you get? Personally, I hope you do...since there are so many idiots on Yahoo Answers you're likely to get a failing grade anyway.
2006-08-18 20:04:49 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Look it up.
2006-08-17 22:04:24 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
slave = hardiest work ( done )
2006-08-17 22:09:29 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋