To Be a Slave | Short Essay Answer Key

Short Essay Answer Key

1. Discuss the reasons why Indians and whites did not work out for the colonists for manual labor purposes.

The Indians were not used to the complex plantation life and were susceptible to various diseases while the whites were indentured servants, therefore needing to be continually replaced. The whites could also run away unsuspected.

2. Why did the colonists turn to blacks as a means of manual labor?

The blacks could not escape without detection, they could be bought and kept for life, there were a large supply of them, and their sophisticated African civilizations allowed them to understand the growing economy of America.

3. What were three ways that the Prologue mentions in which slave trading was carried out?

The slave traders would lie in wait for someone, and capture them. The slave traders would strike deals with African tribal chiefs to trade people for...
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