Why Is Slavery Important In America

From the birth of the United States to present-day America, slavery has taken form in a variety of

ways. However, all types of slavery single down to one thing. In some way, they all have to do with

taking away a person's natural rights and forcing them to work for the benefit of others.

The earliest accounts of slavery in North America started in 1619, before the 13 Colonies had

become the United States. At first, the amount of slaves increased slowly, but when the colonies

finally broke apart from England and started developing on their own, this number grew hastily

("Slavery (in the American continent and the Carribean)"). The source of labor, along with the brutality

of it all, did not escape anyone's notice
To keep the high profit from

growing these crops going, a cheap labor source had to be providided (Deverell and White 376-377).

This is where slavery came into the picture. Enslaved African Americans were bought at a cheap

price, and then put to work in plantations ("Plantation System"). Slavery became a very important

part to many aspects of the South. During the 1800's, slavery was a huge influence throughout North America. Around 1840, the

United States was already producing most of the world's cotton. This resulted a great profit for the

whole country. It also had a negative effect, for the states were divided into two. For a long time,

there was tension between the North and the South caused by each of their views on slavery.

Owning slaves was illegal in the northern states, but in the rest, it was a sign of someone's wealth a

social status. Many slave owners were important figures or political leaders (Deverell and White 378,

382-383).

While Americans were mostly enjoying the outcomes of slavery, African Americans had to
A ruling by the United States Supreme Court stated that they were all legally property of

white owners and could not object to any harsh treatment directed towards them (). Slaves did join

together to rebel, but they did not have much power at that time ("Slave life in America").

Eventually, slavery was made completely illegal after decades of struggle in all of the world. This

does not mean that it does not occur today anymore. Trafficking, another word for modern slavery, is

happening all over the world ("Bonded Labor"). Today, there are more types of modern slavery than

there were in the 1800's. The most common one is forced labour. This is where someone is coerced

into working for another person, usually when they are made vulnerable due to race, religion, poverty,

etc. However, modern slavery is not limited to forced labour. It can also take place in form of sex

trafficking, child soldiers, and bonded labour ("What Is Modern Slavery?"). Slavery was essentionally very similar in both time periods. For example, the U.S. illegally makes

$150 billion in profits every year ("Forced labour, human trafficking and slavery". This resembles