History of Slavery

How did slavery affect the spirit of the enslaved? Of the enslavers? Would you rather have been a slave or an indentured servant in the colonial Virginia?

The spirit of the slaves was jeopardized by the loss of freedom and the hardships they endured once becoming a slave. Slaves coming to America were treated like animals. They were herded up, branded, put in chains, whipped, and put on ships headed to a life of work and dreams of freedom. The demoralization of being sold as property hindered the Africans character. On September 9h, 1739 a number of South Carolina slaves had enough and struck out for Florida and freedom. This revolt was known as the Stono River Rebellion. Led by an Angolan named Jemmy, the men and women walked south, recruiting more slaves along the way. By the end of the night their numbers approached one hundred. What exactly triggered the Stono Rebellion is not clear. Many slaves knew that small groups of runaways had made their way from South Carolina to Florida, where they had been given freedom and land. Looking to cause unrest within the English colonies, the Spanish had issued a proclamation stating that any slave who deserted to St Augustine would be given the same treatment. Certainly this influenced the potential rebels and made them willing to accept their situation. (AS 75) A fall epidemic had disrupted the colonial government in nearby Charlestown, and word had just arrived that England and Spain were at war, raising hopes that the Spanish in St. Augustine would give a positive reception to slaves escaping from Carolina plantations.

The Stono River Rebellion caused civil unrest and jeopardized the power of the slave owners. This rebellion killed 20 slave owners, traders, and political leaders that had influence on the trade. About 25 slaves were killed in the fighting and the rest were caught and executed. This caused slave owners to re-think the security of their slaves and the freedom that they did have. Soon with the increasing number of blacks for some time, the white colonists had been working on a Negro Act that would limit the privileges of slaves. This act was quickly finalized and approved after the Stono Rebellion. No longer would slaves be allowed to grow their own food, assemble in groups, earn their own money, or learn to read. Some of these restrictions had been in effect before the Negro Act, but had not been strictly enforced.

During this time period, indentured