Slavery Flashcards
Where were the slaves first brought and for what reason?
Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619, to aid in the production of such lucrative crops as tobacco.
Who introduced slavery in America and when?
In 1619, the Dutch introduced the first captured Africans to America, planting the seeds of a slavery system that evolved into a nightmare of abuse and cuelty that would ultimately divide the nation.
What invention in 1793 solidified slavery usage for the Southerners?
The invention of the cotton gin in 1793 solidified the central importance of slavery to the South’s economy.
When did Congress outlaw the slave trade? And in contrast how many slaves were living in the US 52 years later?
Though the U.S. Congress outlawed the African slave trade in 1808, the domestic trade flourished, and the slave population in the U.S. nearly tripled over the next 50 years. By 1860 it had reached nearly 4 million, with more than half living in the cotton-producing states of the South.
What did the 13th amendment do?
The 13th Amendment, adopted late in 1865, officially abolished slavery, but freed blacks’ status in the post-war South remained precarious, and significant challenges awaited during the Reconstruction period (1865-77).
Explain the difficulties and ultimate triumphs of the blacks during the 19th and 20th century
Reconstruction was ultimately frustrating for African Americans, and the rebirth of white supremacy–including the rise of racist organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan–had triumphed in the South by 1877. Almost a century later, resistance to the lingering racism and discrimination in America that began during the slavery era would lead to the civil rights movement of the 1960s, which would achieve the greatest political and social gains for blacks since Reconstruction.
