Slavery in America

1. Slavery in America
1609-1865

2. Origins
• Slavery has existed since the
beginning of human history.
• People were enslaved for a
number of reasons some of
which include; being captured
in battle, owing a debt or being
born to slave parents.
• The word “slave” comes from
the Slavic people of eastern
Europe who were conquered
so often that the their name
became synonymous with
servitude.
• Most cultures around the world
have practiced slavery in one
form or another.

3. Middle Passage
• The leg of the Atlantic slave
trade that transported African
people from Africa to slave
markets in the Americas.
• It was called the Middle
Passage because it was the
second of the three part
triangle trade route.
• Slaves were packed tightly on
ships, shackled and fed very
little for the 3-5 month
journey.
• About 18 million Africans
were transported between
1600 and 1800, with about 3
million dying on the way.

4. Middle Passage
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El Mino Slave Castle
Ghana
Doorway of no return

5. Arrival in America
• Native Americans were
originally enslaved by the
Europeans, but after many died
from diseases, they began
importing African slaves who
were resistant to European
diseases.
• The first African slaves arrived
in America on a Portuguese
ship at Jamestown, VA in 1609.
• Prior to arrival in America
slaves were usually fed better in
order to make them look
healthy.
• Slaves were auctioned off to
plantation owners and
businessmen from the city and
performed a variety of tasks.
Slave Auction

6. Slave Codes
• Slave codes were laws
meant to control slaves.
• These codes forbid slaves
from learning to read,
owning firearms, or
marrying a white person.
• The penalty a slave faced
for learning to read was
having a thumb cut off!
• These laws also made the
children born to slaves
automatically slaves for life
(generational slavery).
The ends of a whip were
tipped with iron barbs
This slave collar was
equipped with bells.
A slave yolk was used to
bind two slaves together.
Captured African slave
Slave tags, similar to
dog tags were worn by
slaves.

7. Slaves Resisted!!
• Slaves didn’t just sit back and
accept a life of servitude
• Slaves resisted in a number of
ways including; escaping, slowing
down on the job, intentionally doing
a job wrong or participating in
violent rebellion.
• One of the most famous slave
revolts occurred in Virginia. A slave
named Nat Turner led 70 other
slaves in the killing of 55 white
men, women and children. Turner
and his men were later captured
and hung.
• Slaves also resisted by singing
spirituals, or religious folk songs
that often contained coded
messages.
• Slave spirituals led to the creation
of both jazz and the blues.
Southern account of
Turner’s rebellion.
Nat Turner
Reward Poster

8. The Underground Railroad
• The Underground Railroad was
a large network of people who
helped fugitive slaves escape to
the North and to Canada.
• It is estimated that up to 100,000
slaves escaped the South with
the help of “conductors”, or
guides. The most famous of
these guides was Harriet
Tubman.
• Slaves escaping North would
use a series of “stations”, or safe
houses to rest in along the route.
• The paths that slaves traveled
towards the North were known
as “tracks”.
• While slavery was outlawed in
the North, escaping slaves were
not truly free until they reached
Canada.
This quilt shows the track
pattern which told escaped
slaves that this was a
“station”, or safe place.
Lawn Jockeys were used to
mark stations on the
underground railroad.
Harriet Tubman

10. Bethel AME Church
Greenwich Township
Holden House
Jersey City
Peter Mott House
Lawnside
Croft Farm
Cherry Hill
Wheatley’s
Burlington
* In 1745 there were about 4,000 slaves in New
Jersey, mostly in the southern part of the state.

11. The Abolition of Slavery
• From 1861-1865 Americans
in the North and South fought
the Civil War over the issue
of slavery.
• A total of more than 600,000
people on both sides died.
• In January of 1863, President
Lincoln made clear that he
sought to end the institution
of slavery when he signed the
Emancipation Proclamation.
• After the war, the thirteenth
amendment to the
Constitution was added
ending slavery in the U.S.
• Slavery had been abolished
in New Jersey since 1804.
Emancipation Proclamation
Lee surrendering to Grant