West Indies Slavery

While a large distance may separate Carolina and the West Indies these two places could be said to be exactly identical in the 18th century. Places in the West Indies quickly found a quick production in sugar that translated to large amounts of wealth. However the need for land was not suitable on the West Indie islands. In an effort to attempt to find more land the elite planters made way to America to try to create a new colony but of similar taste as the West Indies. This system in the West Indies was the main factor as to why the Carolinas saw success and was able to be colonized the way. The West Indies system of race based slavery, large production of a crash crop, the unequal slave demographics, and harsh, but fertile environments were …show more content…
While the West Indies continued to grow, the need for more labor increased. Importation of slaves continued until “Barbados had become the first English colony with a black and enslaved majority,” and in Jamaica, “By 1700 the free white population had fallen to 15,000 while the number of enslaved blacks had grown to 50,000.” Taylor shows that both Islands used large quantities of slaves to manipulate more labor. Just like the West Indies, the Carolinas became large populated in slaves. The population of South Carolina were “about seventy thousand [slaves], and are a considerable part of the riches. The whites are between thirty and forty thousand.” Obviously, not only was there a larger number of slaves on the island than planters but having these many slaves was a direct cause for the need to cultivate. Because of the inequality, many slaves owners and colonists became fearful of raids and uprisings. It became clear very quickly that the laws would have to be changed in order to make sure that slaves never felt like they could revolt. These laws would first start in the West Indies and because of this work their way into the …show more content…
Early on in the process of colonization of the West Indies, most slave laws were more lenient due to the few slaves present on the islands. In which “for Negro’s, wandering, without their masters, apprehended moderately to whip and correct.” This 1652 slave law was enacted to basically apprehend a slave that is alone and without slave to oversee him or her. The punishment would be that of a moderate whipping. After a span of 10 years, slave laws had to change drastically in order to control revolts in which the laws stated, “Negro under punishment, for running away or any other crimes, shall suffer in life, no person whatsoever shall be accomptable to any law.” Even small laws that may be broken would result in slaves being persecuted in death with no consequence for the masters. Because of the success that the West Indies saw using these laws, it became clear that these laws would be the leading example of slave laws for Carolina. In the 1691 slave acts “That if any slave, by punishment of the owner for running away or any other offense, shall suffer life, no person shall be liable.” This act, which is almost identical to the West Indies slave laws, shows that any small act could result in death. This act would undermine the slaves’ to prevent them from getting any kind of idea to go against whites. West Indies slave