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Slaves Role In America's Economy After The Civil War

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Ever since the 1600s, slaves have held an important role in shaping America’s economy. Without this source of cheap labor, the United States would probably have had a frail economy, and the hope of independence remaining a distant dream. Before the Revolutionary War, the South relied heavily on slaves for their crops. However, after the Revolution, the number of slaves dropped drastically and rose rapidly at the same time. From 1775 to 1830, contradictory events occurred: the number of slaves decreased and increased at the same time. Both free and enslaved African Americans had to quickly adapt to the growing changes around them and continue their fight for independence and equality.

Many slaves earned their freedom in the years following the Revolutionary War. People began to realize how sinful it was to own slaves and many eventually freed them. For example, George Washington saw the evil of …show more content…

Ever since the 1700s, the South relied much more on slavery as the North did. Without slaves, Southerners could not get much money and crops. Afraid of not being the side which held the political control of slavery, the South formed the Confederate States of America. The Civil War did bring an end to slavery, but even after the War, there was a constant struggle between the two sides, which was followed by the civil rights movement in the 1900s.
Letting go of something you held so tightly on for the last two centuries can be very difficult. The South definitely was not eager to free all their slaves, especially when their entire economy was hinged on it. Slavery went through many changes between the American Revolution and the early nineteenth century. Between 1775 and 1830, the slave trade both expanded and decreased, creating challenges for both free and enslaved African Americans alike as they struggled to gain equal rights to their fellow American

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