History of slavery in Massachusetts
- History of slavery in Massachusetts
Massachusetts was the first colony in New England with slave ownership.
History
The exact date of the first African slaves in Massachusetts is unknown, but may have been as early as 1624 by a man named Samuel Maverick. The first confirmed account of slavery in the colony came in 1638 when several native prisoners taken during the Pequot War were exchanged in the West Indies for African slaves. Such exchanges become common in subsequent conflicts. [cite book|title=Black Bondage in the North|pages=6|author=McManus, Edgar J.]
Most of the 17th century slave trade in New England was based in Massachusetts, however direct attempts were not successful until the latter half of the century. In 1676 Boston ships began working with slave traders in Madagascar and by 1678 were selling slaves to Virginians. As for slaves imported to Massachusetts, the operators preferred to trade Africans for more experienced slaves in the West Indies. Some Africans unsuitable for work in the West Indies were also brought to Massachusetts for sale. Boston ships were selling slaves to Connecticut by 1680 and Rhode Island by 1696.[cite web|url=http://www.slavenorth.com/massachusetts.htm|title=Slavery in Massachusetts|publisher=Slavery in the North|author=Harper, Douglass|accessdate=2007-06-10] ]The slave population in Massachusetts was under 200 in 1676, 550 in 1708 and 2,000 by 1715. Slaves accounted for 2.2% of the total population from 1755 to 1764, their highest rate. There was a larger free black population, with about 10% of the population of Boston being black in 1752.
Law
A 1641 law linked slavery to Biblical authority and created a set of rules for slaves. A 1703 law required owners to post a bond for all slaves to protect towns in the case that a slave became indigent should the master refuse to continue caring for him or her.
References
ee also
*Slavery in Massachusetts - An essay by Henry David Thoreau
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