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Difficulty: MediumDevelopment of Chattel Slavery

Read the following excerpt from the South Carolina Act of 1740:

'Be it enacted, that all negroes and Indians... which now are, or shall hereafter be, in this province, and all their issue and offspring, born or to be born, shall be, and they are hereby declared to be, and remain forever hereafter, absolute slaves, and shall follow the condition of the mother...'

Which of the following factors in the southern colonies was the primary driver behind the codification of the legal status described in the excerpt?

  1. A
    The growth of small-scale family farming in New England, which increased demand for mobile labor across the colonies.
  2. B
    The belief that African laborers were entering temporary contracts that would grant their children freedom after a set period of years.
  3. The development of a plantation-based agricultural economy focused on labor-intensive cash crops like rice and indigo.Answer
  4. D
    The colonial desire to promote free-market capitalist competition by deregulating international shipping and trade.

Answer

The development of a plantation-based agricultural economy focused on labor-intensive cash crops like rice and indigo.
The development of a plantation-based agricultural economy centered on labor-intensive cash crops like rice and indigo created a demand for a permanent, hereditary labor force. This economic incentive led colonial assemblies to legally codify chattel slavery, defining slaves as property and establishing that children would inherit their mother's status.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the primary source excerpt to identify the legal status being established.
The text establishes that all negroes and Indians (with minor exceptions) and their offspring are 'absolute slaves' forever, and that the child's status follows that of the mother.
Understanding the hereditary and permanent nature of chattel slavery is necessary to identify the economic and social drivers behind its codification.
2
Connect the legal codification of permanent hereditary slavery to the economic systems of the southern colonies.
The southern colonies, especially South Carolina, relied on labor-intensive plantation crops like rice and indigo, which required a large, permanent labor force.
This explains why southern colonies passed increasingly rigid laws to secure a perpetual labor supply.
3
Evaluate the options to find the one that matches the economic driver of the southern plantation system.
The option describing the development of a plantation-based agricultural economy focused on cash crops like rice and indigo is the correct choice.
It correctly identifies the primary historical factor that led to the development and legal codification of chattel slavery.

Key Concept

Development of Chattel Slavery
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Development of Chattel Slavery

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