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Because they were cheap labor. They wanted to be able to do unwanted work cheaply without doing it themselves.

It started with indentured servants, which eventually lead to African slaves. they were mostly used in the south for the tobacco crops which the leaves had to be harvested by hand. The other main crop they were used for is cotton.

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Q: Why were Africans used as a source of labor in the Americas?
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Why did colonies begin to use slave labor?

There are many reasons why many groups and nationalities have been used as slaves throughout time. Africans were only one of many examples because throughout time whites also enslaved whites. Africans still enslave Africans. The American experience is only one of many times slaves have been used in history and today. Initially few enslaved Africans were used in the Americas. It was the expansion of the sugar industry in Barbados and the Leeward islands that led to the large scale use of enslaved Africans by planters. Initially white British indentured labour was used. The Dutch first started the trade but once the British got involved they were able to better organize the trade sending ships back and forth between England, Africa and the Americas, known as the triangular trade. As a result the price of slaves dropped and planters turned to this cheap source of labour. Hence in a nutshell, the reasons for the use of enslaved Africans by planters in the Americas was simply that it was a cheap form of labour. By the time the mainland colonies started to used enslaved Africans as labour, the trade was well organised by the British and the price of slaves was significantly reduced to make slave labour viable. Not that Africans were only slaves in the "New World". Some Black Americans owned slaves. Slavery was also not limited to the southern states either. There were states in the north during the civil war that owned slaves throughout the entire war. It was not until several months after the civil war ended that slavery finally became illegal.


When did enslaving Africans become popular?

African slaves were first used in the Americas in Jamestown in the early 1600s but slavery has been around for thousands of years including Africa


Who did the spanish use to work on plantations in the Americas?

The spanish mainly used africans brought over from Africa. The rarely used natives to the land because they would fight back and knew the area well so were prone to escape.


What was a consequence of the fact that early people of the Americas did not have horses or oxen?

Actually the earliest people in the Americas did have horses available, but they used them as a source of food not as "beasts of burden", this hunting drove the American horses into extinction.Without "beasts of burden" the people of the Americas used either dogs or had to carry loads themselves. In South America the llamas (relatives of camels) were domesticated as "beasts of burden".


What was a consequence of the fact that the early people of the Americas did not have horses or oxen?

Actually the earliest people in the Americas did have horses available, but they used them as a source of food not as "beasts of burden", this hunting drove the American horses into extinction.Without "beasts of burden" the people of the Americas used either dogs or had to carry loads themselves. In South America the llamas (relatives of camels) were domesticated as "beasts of burden".

Related questions

Why were enslaved Africans in the southern colonies?

Enslaved Africans were brought to the southern colonies to work on plantations due to a demand for labor in industries such as tobacco, rice, and indigo production. Enslaving Africans was seen as a way to meet this demand for labor and increase the profitability of these industries.


Was the Native Americas used as slaves in North America's?

They were but they did not make good slaves. The purchace of Africans from the Africans gave better slaves.


Was the beginnings of African slavery developed in response to the Spanish conquest of the Americas?

No, African slavery predated the Spanish conquest of the Americas. Slavery had been practiced in various African societies for centuries before Europeans began their colonization efforts. The transatlantic slave trade increased in scale and brutality following the Spanish and Portuguese colonization of the Americas, as the demand for labor in the New World grew.


Term used for the second leg of the route known as the triangular trade, which carried enslaved Africans to the Americas?

The Middle Passage


Why did colonies begin to use slave labor?

There are many reasons why many groups and nationalities have been used as slaves throughout time. Africans were only one of many examples because throughout time whites also enslaved whites. Africans still enslave Africans. The American experience is only one of many times slaves have been used in history and today. Initially few enslaved Africans were used in the Americas. It was the expansion of the sugar industry in Barbados and the Leeward islands that led to the large scale use of enslaved Africans by planters. Initially white British indentured labour was used. The Dutch first started the trade but once the British got involved they were able to better organize the trade sending ships back and forth between England, Africa and the Americas, known as the triangular trade. As a result the price of slaves dropped and planters turned to this cheap source of labour. Hence in a nutshell, the reasons for the use of enslaved Africans by planters in the Americas was simply that it was a cheap form of labour. By the time the mainland colonies started to used enslaved Africans as labour, the trade was well organised by the British and the price of slaves was significantly reduced to make slave labour viable. Not that Africans were only slaves in the "New World". Some Black Americans owned slaves. Slavery was also not limited to the southern states either. There were states in the north during the civil war that owned slaves throughout the entire war. It was not until several months after the civil war ended that slavery finally became illegal.


How did enslaved Africans contribute to life in new Spain?

Enslaved Africans in New Spain made significant contributions to its economy, primarily through labor in agriculture, mining, and domestic service. They also played a role in shaping the cultural, culinary, and musical landscape of the region, influencing aspects of language, music, dance, and religion. Additionally, some enslaved Africans were able to gain freedom and achieve social mobility through skilled trades and entrepreneurship.


What factors led planters to use the labor of enslaved africans?

There are many reasons why many groups and nationalities have been used as slaves throughout time. Africans were only one of many examples because throughout time whites also enslaved whites. Africans still enslave Africans. The American experience is only one of many times slaves have been used in history and today. Initially few enslaved Africans were used in the Americas. It was the expansion of the sugar industry in Barbados and the Leeward islands that led to the large scale use of enslaved Africans by planters. Initially white British indentured labour was used. The Dutch first started the trade but once the British got involved they were able to better organize the trade sending ships back and forth between England, Africa and the Americas, known as the triangular trade. As a result the price of slaves dropped and planters turned to this cheap source of labour. Hence in a nutshell, the reasons for the use of enslaved Africans by planters in the Americas was simply that it was a cheap form of labour. By the time the mainland colonies started to used enslaved Africans as labour, the trade was well organised by the British and the price of slaves was significantly reduced to make slave labour viable. Not that Africans were only slaves in the "New World". Some Black Americans owned slaves. Slavery was also not limited to the southern states either. There were states in the north during the civil war that owned slaves throughout the entire war. It was not until several months after the civil war ended that slavery finally became illegal.


What factors led to use the labor of enslaved africans?

There are many reasons why many groups and nationalities have been used as slaves throughout time. Africans were only one of many examples because throughout time whites also enslaved whites. Africans still enslave Africans. The American experience is only one of many times slaves have been used in history and today. Initially few enslaved Africans were used in the Americas. It was the expansion of the sugar industry in Barbados and the Leeward islands that led to the large scale use of enslaved Africans by planters. Initially white British indentured labour was used. The Dutch first started the trade but once the British got involved they were able to better organize the trade sending ships back and forth between England, Africa and the Americas, known as the triangular trade. As a result the price of slaves dropped and planters turned to this cheap source of labour. Hence in a nutshell, the reasons for the use of enslaved Africans by planters in the Americas was simply that it was a cheap form of labour. By the time the mainland colonies started to used enslaved Africans as labour, the trade was well organised by the British and the price of slaves was significantly reduced to make slave labour viable. Not that Africans were only slaves in the "New World". Some Black Americans owned slaves. Slavery was also not limited to the southern states either. There were states in the north during the civil war that owned slaves throughout the entire war. It was not until several months after the civil war ended that slavery finally became illegal.


What factors led to planters to use labor of enslaved Africans?

There are many reasons why many groups and nationalities have been used as slaves throughout time. Africans were only one of many examples because throughout time whites also enslaved whites. Africans still enslave Africans. The American experience is only one of many times slaves have been used in history and today. Initially few enslaved Africans were used in the Americas. It was the expansion of the sugar industry in Barbados and the Leeward islands that led to the large scale use of enslaved Africans by planters. Initially white British indentured labour was used. The Dutch first started the trade but once the British got involved they were able to better organize the trade sending ships back and forth between England, Africa and the Americas, known as the triangular trade. As a result the price of slaves dropped and planters turned to this cheap source of labour. Hence in a nutshell, the reasons for the use of enslaved Africans by planters in the Americas was simply that it was a cheap form of labour. By the time the mainland colonies started to used enslaved Africans as labour, the trade was well organised by the British and the price of slaves was significantly reduced to make slave labour viable. Not that Africans were only slaves in the "New World". Some Black Americans owned slaves. Slavery was also not limited to the southern states either. There were states in the north during the civil war that owned slaves throughout the entire war. It was not until several months after the civil war ended that slavery finally became illegal.


When did enslaving Africans become popular?

African slaves were first used in the Americas in Jamestown in the early 1600s but slavery has been around for thousands of years including Africa


What caused the relationship between europe and africa to change?

At first, the Europeans and the Africans traded in a way that everyone is equal. After Christopher Columbus found America, the Europeans gradually turned their attention to the Americas rather than Asia. In the new land, the Spaniards were the first to settle there. As they enslaved the Native Americans, more settlers came. However, the hard labor and diseases killed them quickly. In the need of new labor, they turned their attention back to Europe and Asia. The Europeans were not used to the hard work and the Asian workers weren't enough. Eventually, they found the ideal workers - Africans. The Africans were used to the long hours of work and they have the knowledge of farming. Since then, the Europeans and the Americans started the slave trade and took away the rights of the Africans little be little, believing that they were inferiors.


What led to slavery in the British colonies?

Slavery in the British colonies was primarily driven by economic factors, as the demand for labor in industries like sugar, tobacco, and cotton far exceeded the available workforce. The transatlantic slave trade provided a constant supply of enslaved Africans to meet this demand, and the legal system in the colonies supported and maintained the institution of slavery. Colonial powers also used racial stereotypes and prejudices to justify the enslavement of Africans.