Why early American plantation owners preferred to import African slaves vs enslaving indigenous people.

Question

Why early American plantation owners preferred to import African slaves vs enslaving indigenous people.

In: Economics

Answer 1

The catholic church decided that native Americans had souls and were capable of being saved and entering heaven, could not be enslaved. The catholic church also decided African and others could be enslaved/didn’t have souls.

Source: Bartolomé de las Casas, primary source.