The US Slave Trade

The US Slave Trade

The US slave trade
When the British came to North America, they needed labor to expand their empire. First they used the Native Americans as labors, but that was not enough to fulfill their needs. Europeans did not work either, because they wasn’t used to the warm climate. They found out that black people were the best workers; they were strong and used to warmer climate. The southern plantations needed more workers, because the land was harder and difficult to plow. They grew tobacco, cotton or rice, which are suitable to that environment. When the cotton gin came to America, the productivity was increased, and they needed more work force. This is how the slavery began in North America. A cotton gin or a cotton engine is a machine that pulls cotton fibers away from the cotton seeds.
The transportation of slaves to America was terrible; Africans were chained below deck and tortured. The slave hunters did not consider their safety or their most basic needs. That’s why many captured people died on the ships sailing to America. The slaves who made it alive were strong workers and resistant to disease. When the Africans arrived USA, they were sold at auctions. Many families got separated apart. Children were separated from their parents, and they never got to see each other again.
Some plantation owners thought the only way to control the slaves was by violence and torture. Punishment by whipping was not unusual. They thought the slaves were subhuman, which meant that they were not fully human. This encouraged the plantation owners not to educate slaves. They thought the slaves would work harder and not protest, if they didn’t get an education. Other owners believed in happiness among slaves to increase the productivity of the workers by giving them the facilities they needed.
The Underground Railroad was organized to help slaves to flee to the north of US. In general, blacks had more freedom in north of US. They provided hiding places, food and often...

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