The Early Abolitionists of Lancaster County Volume 15 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1911 Excerpt: ...the Spaniards introduced slavery into Florida before this time or not. Some historians think that this is the case. During the year 1621 the cotton plant was first introduced in Virginia (Bancroft, vol. 1, p. 179). This, together with the cultivation of tobacco, increased the demand for negroes, and both Virginia and Maryland became slave-holding States. New England early took up the slave traffic and availed herself of the cheap labor of the negro slaves. Massachusetts, in 1641, in her "fundamentals,"-r body of liberties, recognized the lawfulness of Indian and negro slavery, as well as of the African slave trade (Hildreth's History, p. 278). In Connecticut the proportion of slaves to freemen was greater than in Massachusetts. In 1650 Indians who failed to make satisfaction for injuries were ordered to be seized and delivered to the injured party, either to servo themselves or to be shipped out and exchanged for negroes. Insolvent debtors also, as well as negroes, were made slaves in Connecticut. In Rhode Island, with the exception of Providence, slaves abounded to a greater extent that in any other portion of New England. In Providence the home of Roger Williams, the services of the black and the white races were placed on the same footing and limitations (Cobb in Slavery, p. 158). Slavery was introduced into New Amsterdam as early as 1626 vy the West India Company. Stuyvesant was urged to use every exertion to promote the sale of negroes. In 1750 the slaves of this colony constituted one-sixth of the population. The Quakers of our own colony held negro slaves, and it is believed that William Penn held slaves at the tliue of his death. In 1712 a general petition for the emancipation of slaves by law was presented to the Pennsylvania Legislature, ...