Growth of Slavery (FRB2 2001) One of the most controversial issues ever to face Americans is that of slavery. It began in the early years of colonial America, spread through all the colonies, but flourished in the southern colonies for nearly three-hundred years. The geographical, economic, and social factors in the south were essential in allowing this to take place. The right people mixed with the right place created an atmosphere where slavery persisted instead of fading away as it did in the New England colonies. The aspects of the southern colonies made for the thriving of slavery in pre-revolutionary America, as the institution came to be seen as a necessity that the economy of the southern colonies was dependent upon. The New England colonies and the colonies of the south had different types of rivers and land leading to different outcomes towards slavery. In the southern colonies, there were slow-moving, wide rivers that ships could travel on that let the settlers move inland farther than the northerners. This made the transportation of cash crops much easier in the south. The soil was good for growing large amounts cash crops. The weather was also hot and muggy. Mixed with the terrain, it sometimes created swamps and marshes to come about. This was a utopia for disease carrying-insects, specifically mosquitoes. It seemed to be much like Africa, which is the main reason slaves did not die while working like European workers. The Africans had already been exposed to diseases like malaria, so they could survive the southern climate. The weather in the south also made cash crops more of a southern business because it let the crops grow all year long, unlike at the northern farms. This was another reason slaves persisted in the south. Tending to the cash crops of the south was a labor-intensive job that required hard physical work in the heat; not many people working for money wanted to do it. Indentured servants were the only choice at the beginning, but slaves became the better choice. Plus, the slaves from Africa seemed to be a perfect fit. They were already used to the conditions, and, to the plantation owners, they were doing good by taking the Africans out of their uncivilized lifestyle. The rivers in the south let settlers move much farther inland than the northerners. This gave settlers the ability to start large plantations miles away from the ocean and each other. Since the plantations in the south were so spread out, each one was like its own community. While families grew, the plantations became like towns over time, but were still far apart. Because of the distance between communities, it was difficult to get new English settlers to work the fields for the land owners. The hard work also made it seem less desirable, but most immigrants were not going to the south anyway. Most people coming to America were headed for the northern colonies, because the cities were larger due to the people living in a more
