During the time period from 1600 to 1783, the thirteen colonies in North America experienced both the establishment of slavery and the American Revolutionary War. The colonization of the New World by Europeans in the 17th century led to a significant increase in slavery, becoming the primary form of labor in these colonies. According to Peter Kolchin, European expansion was instrumental in shaping modern Western slavery as a labor system. However, contrary to popular belief, life in the New World was far from seamless despite these developments.
Although the early American colonists initially accepted the enslavement of an entire race, they quickly realized that their lives were completely controlled by the British Empire. This awareness came about after the French and Indian War in 1765 when they faced unjust taxation through The Stamp Act and were denied entry into the British military. These events shattered their perception of freedom.
Boycotts, protests, riots, and important historical moments such as The Boston Tea Party and The Boston Massacre influenced the rebellion scene in the early colonies, ultimately preparing for The American Revolution. In this era, the fight for freedom from Great Britain intertwined with the matter of slavery, as the thirteen colonies sought their own independence while disregarding the rights and equality of African slaves.
The main ideas in this essay were taken from primary documents such as “The Boston Massacre,” “Parliament Debates the Stamp Act, 1765,” “Colonists Respond to the Stamp Act, 1765-66,” “An Enslaved African-American in the Revolutionary Army, 1777-1783,” and “African-American Fights for the Loyalist in Return for Freedom during the Revolutionary War.” According to Kolchin’s analysis, Colonial America heavily relied on agriculture, specifically tobacco and rice, as its primary sources of wealth. Kolchin further explains that cultivating these crops required labor and the amount one could grow depended on their number of laborers. In essence, having more laborers meant an increase in crop production and profit. The Colonists’ desire to develop commercial agriculture despite a scarcity of available workers led to the establishment of institutional slavery in North America. Interestingly enough, initially there was no racial basis for determining the demand for labor.
In England, there was no slave tradition. However, Africans were forcibly brought to the British New World. The first Africans arrived in Jamestown in 1619 on a Dutch trading ship. Initially, they were not considered slaves but lacked freedom nonetheless. They served as indentured servants until their obligations were fulfilled. Eventually, slavery began to replace indentured servitude. Before the 1680s, colonists favored non-Indian indentured servants due to their familiarity with unfamiliar conditions being unnecessary.
During the 1680s, slavery became the main labor system in the colonies, replacing indentured servitude. The colonists understood that African slaves were a more profitable choice than indentured servants because they could be kept forever and their children would also be enslaved. Although not seen as morally wrong at the time, slavery was seen as a necessary evil for the progress of the developing nation (Kolchin).
Great Britain, the motherland, began implementing more stringent control over the colonies in North America. In retaliation, the thirteen colonies banded together to combat their subjugation under the British Empire. Their objective was to oppose perceived unjust treatment imposed upon them. This resistance against the British parliament became famously referred to as the American Revolution. The revolution was not ignited by one specific incident but rather a combination of various factors.
The French and Indian War sparked open conflicts between the colonies and Great Britain (Butler). Consequently, Great Britain found itself in significant debt (“Parliament Debates”). By the early 1765, the British Parliament was struggling to afford the defense of its North American empire. To address this issue, they devised the Stamp Act (“Parliament Debates”). The British viewed the thirteen colonies as an extension and investment of Great Britain, while the colonists were striving for independence. This shifted the once amicable relationship between Britain and the colonies to one filled with growing conflict (“Colonists Responds”). In 1764, the British Ministry announced a tax that required colonists to pay for the stationing of British troops. Named after its implementation method, this act involved placing a stamp on items like Newspapers, Legal Documents, diplomas, etc. George Grenville argued that those who refused to bear this tax burden were not entitled to the privileges of Englishmen (“Parliament Debates”).
The British thought that the colonists’ “unalienable rights” were meaningless if they did not comply. The colonists were frustrated with unfair taxes and restrictions on protecting their families. They expressed their dissatisfaction through riots and boycotts of British Goods in response to The Stamp Act. This marked the point at which the colonists of early America embraced and supported the American Revolution.
Supporting the rebellion, various groups of settlers, known as the Sons of Liberty and the Daughters of Liberty, advocated for the self-sufficiency movement (Butler). As the settlers revolted, the colonial delegates had to come together, leading to the formation of The Stamp Act Congress as a necessary measure. This congress marked the first step taken by the colonists in presenting a unified front against the Parliament. The members of The Stamp Act Congress acknowledged Britain’s authority to regulate trade in the colonies but rejected its right to impose taxes on them.
The colonists argued that if they were not represented in the government, it would be uncivilized for the Parliament to tax them: taxation without representation (Hinschelwood). In response to the colonists’ protests, the British Parliament was compelled to repeal the Stamp Act in 1766. However, they retaliated by passing the Declaratory Act, asserting their complete legislative authority over the colonies (Hinschelwood). Just a few months later, John Adams, who would later become President of the US, noted that the Stamp Act had sparked resistance throughout British North America (Hinschelwood). This set the stage for widespread dissent among the colonists and marked the beginning of significant changes. Approximately five years later, British presence in America reached its peak. The growing tension between soldiers and settlers fueled by the “Spirit of Rebellion” became increasingly volatile. On March 5th, 1770, a group of young colonists gathered and provoked the British soldiers through taunting and incitement. After enduring a barrage of rocks, snowballs, and various objects, the British soldiers were ordered to fire.
When the smoke cleared 5 colonists were dead, an event later named The Boston Massacre (Hewes). Despite the colonist’s zealous and disorderly reaction, John Adams suggested that “America should not lose the moral advantage of showing that the soldiers could receive a fair trial” (Hewes). According to John Adams’ personal account on his death bed, he disclosed a testimony from one of the 5 deceased victims, stating that “the man suggested that the Crowd was to blame for the Massacre and not the soldiers” (Hewes).
During the Revolution, the understanding of what was right and wrong became increasingly unclear. After enduring years of unfair treatment and disregard under British rule, the thirteen colonies were ready to fight for their independence. However, the contradiction arose in the fact that while seeking freedom from Britain, the colonies relied heavily on African slavery, which fueled their economy. The British even offered enslaved Africans their freedom as a means to gain their loyalty in battle.
The principles America was established on are the same ones that were challenged by Great Britain’s oppressive rule. However, these ideals are often overlooked in the face of prejudice. This specific ethnic group was forcibly removed from their homeland for reasons such as their skin color, nationality, or unfortunate situations. Although the founding fathers envisioned a world free from tyrannical governance, they contradicted themselves by keeping slaves while striving for independence from British control.
Works Cited
The following sources are referenced in this text:
– “Boyrereau Brinch.” National Humanities Center. (1777-1783): n. page. Print.
– Butler, Jon. Becoming America. Cambridge. Harvard University Press, 2000. Print.
– “Colonists Respond to the Stamp Act, 1765-1766” National Humanities Center. (1765-1766): n. page. Print.
– Hewes, George. “Boston Tea Party.” Digital History. (1773): n. page. Web. 15 Mar. 2013.
