The Formation of Delaware The forming of the colony that would be known as Delaware was an ongoing show of strength. The first settlers included the Dutch and the Swedes. The Swedes moved in territory occupied by the Dutch in a successful attempt to gain power and presence in the new colony. The Swedish takeover was only a temporary one because of a successful ploy set by the Dutch ruler Peter Stuyvesant. The Dutch regain of power was met only by the presence of the English, eventually drove them out of the area and took control of Delaware.[4]
The Beginning of Slavery The 17th century was a time fresh with excitement over the slave trade in the New World. Described as “black gold”, the first slave was an African named Anthony, who was brought …show more content…
Slavery was not officially abolished until 1865. The slave population was 15% of the total population by the year 1790 because Delawareans found it more economically sensible to hire free blacks for their labor because there weren’t all year season crops that needed attending to. Free blacks and remaining slaves were often seen as manufacturers in their new labor force. This pleased Whites because they no longer had to seek resources from abroad. In 1816, the African School Society opened schools, providing education for blacks in Delaware. Despite these progressive features in society, the General Assembly passed “black codes” in 1832 that controlled the lives of freedmen. Free blacks were only allowed to hold property and receive compensation for injury to themselves or their property. Outside of that, they could not live like the Whites of Delaware. They could not travel without permission and were punished if they tried to come back after their time away had expired. After the Nat Turner Rebellion, laws surrounding what free black could do only became stricter. Free blacks were by no means offered the same opportunity as Whites. The most accurate description of the lives of free blacks in the “new” Delaware was that they had “a mongrel liberty, a mere mock of
The Beginning of Slavery The 17th century was a time fresh with excitement over the slave trade in the New World. Described as “black gold”, the first slave was an African named Anthony, who was brought …show more content…
Slavery was not officially abolished until 1865. The slave population was 15% of the total population by the year 1790 because Delawareans found it more economically sensible to hire free blacks for their labor because there weren’t all year season crops that needed attending to. Free blacks and remaining slaves were often seen as manufacturers in their new labor force. This pleased Whites because they no longer had to seek resources from abroad. In 1816, the African School Society opened schools, providing education for blacks in Delaware. Despite these progressive features in society, the General Assembly passed “black codes” in 1832 that controlled the lives of freedmen. Free blacks were only allowed to hold property and receive compensation for injury to themselves or their property. Outside of that, they could not live like the Whites of Delaware. They could not travel without permission and were punished if they tried to come back after their time away had expired. After the Nat Turner Rebellion, laws surrounding what free black could do only became stricter. Free blacks were by no means offered the same opportunity as Whites. The most accurate description of the lives of free blacks in the “new” Delaware was that they had “a mongrel liberty, a mere mock of