What I’m trying to ask is, if the slave trade develop in order to bring slave labor to America, de facto viewing the subjects brought across the ocean as inferior (I’m guessing due to skin color and cultural differences) why did it not develop with the indigenous people in the americas as well? They were different colors skin and culturally different, and it wouldn’t have required transporting millions of people across a very large ocean.
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I have a Master’s degree in Native American history so I feel pretty darn confident in answering this. In North America there were a few enslaved natives. In South America there were many more enslaved natives. I assume you are referring to North America so here is why:
Cultural differences: Native American tribes were often organized in decentralized communities. This made it difficult for the colonists to establish a system of slavery based on the existing Native American social structures. In Africa it was common for higher classes to enslave lower classes and then sell those people to Europeans. This process started well before anyone knew North America existed, and it was easier to expand existing slave trade routes with known “partners” than create entirely new ones.
Geographic factors: The Native American tribes were spread out across vast territories and had varying levels of interaction with European colonists. Unlike the African slave trade, which involved capturing and transporting large numbers of enslaved people from Africa to the Americas. Most African slaves are from west africa (which is why Americans are “used to” a certain appearance of black people. Africa is very diverse and most Americans only see one or two common ethnic groups and their similar appearance.
Disease and population decline: The arrival of Europeans brought with them various diseases to which Native Americans had no immunity. These diseases, such as smallpox, ravaged Native American populations, causing significant population declines. The reduced population numbers made it less feasible for the colonists to enslave Native Americans on a large scale.
Economic factors: The early Spanish colonists initially sought to exploit the Americas for resources, particularly valuable commodities like gold and silver. They enslaved natives who were familiar with the terrain and had established communities that were easy to overrun with their guns. In North America, the English were more focused on agriculture which needed more people. Since there were few native settlements in that part of the continent, it was harder to overrun and ensalve the people needed to run the plantations.
Legal considerations: As European powers began to colonize the Americas, legal frameworks were established to govern the colonies. Some of these legal systems recognized the humanity and rights of Native Americans, providing certain protections and limitations on the treatment of indigenous peoples. While these legal protections were often disregarded or violated, they still served as a barrier to the widespread enslavement of Native Americans.
It is important to note that while Native Americans were not enslaved on the same scale as Africans, they did experience forced labor, exploitation, displacement, and other forms of mistreatment at the hands of European colonizers.
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