Colonization the Area in Florida by the Spanish Article

Colonization the Area in Florida by the Spanish - Article Example The Spanish colonized the area in Florida and were at war with Protestant England. They brought black African slaves to work in the dangerous areas of swampland where diseases abounded to which the Africans had an immunity. They were especially useful on the sugar plantations in the Caribbean. When Sir Walter Raleigh cam into the Carolinas, he went first through Florida and destroyed the settlements and free the slaves This situation did not stop British North Americans from using slaves. Most of them came here with no skills for survival and needed to have things done for them. At first, the slaves were indentured servants, brought for a price which they worked off. When their term was up, usually 7 years, they were given a small plot of land and supplies to get started. The early settlers did not even identify themselves by color at all. The most important divisions were social, religious and economic. Because of the development of rice as a cash crop, slave labor was becoming quite attractive. Runaway white servants usually had a year or two added to their time, but blacks often became lifelong slaves for the same offense. Eventually, plantation owners began buying slaves to work their land. With the invention of the cotton gin, slavery was an economic boon to the southern states, and they were loathed to give it up. So the abolition of slavery was removed from the agenda of the Continental Cong ress after the War of Independence was won. Congress lacked the power to abolish slavery. In fact, even though a number of the Northern delegates disliked slavery, no one at the convention suggested that Congress be empowered to abolish it. (Black 42) In addition, numerous other laws were made in different states to control the slave trade and the slaves.