The use of slave labor on farms did not hurt the small farmer. It was the taking over of the small farmer's land that hurt the small farm industry. The large landowners, for various reasons, were able to squeeze out the small landower.
Slave labour affected mainly the agriculture of Italy. Outside Italy there were far fewer slaves and in many provinces of the Roman Empire there were hardly any slaves.
The majority of slaves were bought by the owners of large landed estates to work in their fields. This abundant supply of labour enabled these men to expand their estates at the expense of peasant farmers. The latter worked small plots of land to feed their families. When they came under economic distress, the rich landowners took advantage of this to buy land on the cheap. Sometimes peasants were also forcibly removed from their land. These now landless people flocked to Rome to eke out a living there, swelling the masses of the urban poor.
Slave labor was a secondary factor in affecting the small farmers. The large estates themselves were the prime reason that many of the small farms were taken over and squeezed out of business. Slave labor was used, but not exclusively. Freeborn men were often hired during planting and harvest seasons, as it was much more cost effective to pay a man a daily wage, than to support a slave who would be idle for much of the year.
Slavery was part of ancient cultures for thousands of years. Since the Roman empire was one of the largest empires of its time, Rome had a huge number of slaves. As can be seen from the Spartacus slave revolt, it caused a serious problem. On an overall basis, however, slavery was immoral, but then so was invading Gaul, for example and annexing it & its peoples. Few historians will cite slavery as a major problem for ancient Rome.
the cotton gin
In most cases the plantation agriculture labor is usually manual.
The economy of the south was based on agriculture- cotton and tobacco- that demanded large amounts of unskilled labor. Economy of the North was manufacturing- required less labor, and more skills.
Slaves were not invented. Slaves were people that were thought of as incredibly insignificant that were used for hard labor.
Speaking in terms of ancient history, people were made slaves because they were a source of inexpensive labor. They were also used as Roman gladiator games and as tutors to wealthy Romans. Moving from ancient history towards the 19th Century, people were made slaves for the same reason, cheap labor.
Roman slaves did everything from hard labor to housework.
Roman slaves did everything from hard labor to housework.
Yes.
The heavy use of slave labor brought about economic decline. Small farmers, who could not compete with free labor, went out of business. These former farmers were forced to make their way in the cities, increasing overcrowding. Slaves were often war captives from barbarian tribes used to independence, so slave insurrections, many that came close to immediately toppling the empire, were always a looming threat.
Slaves were being used for agriculture and owners liked slavery labor.
The Spanish used captive Africans for forced labor in their colonies, primarily in agriculture, mining, and domestic service. Africans were also used as slaves to generate wealth and resources for the Spanish Empire.
African slaves were brought to the Americas to supply labor for agriculture, mining, and other industries that required large amounts of manual work.
The development was caused by the agriculture industry in South America and the need of slaves for labor.
the cotton gin
In most cases the plantation agriculture labor is usually manual.
Colonists turned to West African slaves for cheap labor due to the labor-intensive nature of agriculture and the desire to maximize profits. African slaves were seen as a readily available and cost-effective workforce in the Americas, as they could be obtained through the transatlantic slave trade at a lower cost compared to indentured servants or other labor sources.
The economy of the south was based on agriculture- cotton and tobacco- that demanded large amounts of unskilled labor. Economy of the North was manufacturing- required less labor, and more skills.