In America during the grueling 350 years of slavery, “between nine and twelve million Africans were carried to the Americas under brutal conditions; about 400,000 of these were brought to North America.” Slavery was widely practiced in the American colonies in the 17th and 18th centuries, which helped drive the United States into the Civil War. There was always talk about slavery in the South, which was normal to most but just like the South, the North held slaves in a similar way. Those who were the first to be enslaved by the whites in the North were Native American prisoners of war. These people were shipped off to places, traded for in demand goods, and were sold to white people. Though this slavery was legal it was not always humane. There once was a man who ordered one slave to rape another, on the thought that he might have a ‘breed of negroes.’ The actual date this began was October 3rd, 1639 when the Massachusetts Court of Assistants had allowed the governor to keep an Indian and his wife. This soon came to be a common practice between people that it all felt normal, except to the slaves. Massachusetts was the first colony to legalize slavery and they did so gradually but, it did not end until after the American Revolution. Boston had the largest slave population in Massachusetts and had its own way of controlling it. Throughout the laborious years of slavery there were slaves being traded, some who fought back for freedom, and some who had escaped through the crack and remained free.
Slavery came to New England and made its way into the daily lives of the white people and did not leave for about 200 years. The first law in the US officially sanctioning the practice of keeping African Slaves was written by John Winthrop, the first governor of The Massachusetts Bay Colony. These people considered slaves to be three-fifths human. The numbers in the beginning were small but over time it multiplied and by 1750 there were around 4,000 slaves in Massachusetts. A master in the field of Slavery and history from the University of Maryland stated that, “Slavery was not a minor, weak institution in New England,” “It was a substantial institution that lasted for a long time.” By the mid-18th century, enslavement of Africans was a common practice in Massachusetts. The white people and owners felt that these slaves were helping them and in a way they were. Slavery jump started the New England economy and helped with ship building, insurance, and other trades.
A common thought when you think of the North is the great Patriots and when thinking of the South you think of the slaves and hard times. Although, the slaves in New England were treated less harsh than those in the South. In the North the slaves were owned by single families and there was no way to meet other slaves or have the opportunity to make a family. All the colonies including Massachusetts used slavery to their benefit because it helped them to start their economic system. These people were not treated as whole humans and were expected to work full time for wealthy white people, the life of a slave was not pleasant.
These slaves came over to New England on crowded ships and with them they brought disease. These ships carried, “the commerce that built Boston but they also carried the microbes of infectious disease” (Widmer). This brought fear to Boston because just as they were trying to build up population and their economy it could just as quickly be pulled down by the diseases brought over. These diseases, particularly smallpox, were new to this part of the US, and it started an epidemic. However, Boston was familiar from the epidemic in 1721 that infected “roughly half of Boston's 11,000 residents” (Widmer). When it came around the second time, there was a rumored treatment that came from Africa from a slave named Onesimus. Cotton Mather, the owner of the young slave, heard from Onesimus that he was immune to smallpox. The slave explained to Mather that he had been inoculated with a small amount of the smallpox disease, which made him immune. Mather realized that this had been a trend and he began to investigate other slaves in Boston and saw others were immune too. He soon realized that slaves could be sold at a higher price if they had the scar on their arm indicating they were immune. This procedure helped to save the lives of many during the epidemic and shows “that the solutions we most need often come from the places we least expect to find them” (Widmer).
Not long after the start of slavery were people beginning to oppose this practice with the word of Anti-Slavery. One of the most engaging leaders of the abolitionist movement was William Lloyd Garrison. Boston became the center of opposition to slavery and Garrison was at the center as the writer for the paper called, The Liberator. This paper was feared by many and Garrison “took a position of moral abolition, demanding an immediate end to slavery which alienated many of the political abolitionists.” He was someone who saw the U.S Constitution as a “convent of death” because it allowed the sin of slavery to continue. This paper was for black and white abolitionists and they were encouraged to boycott the process of slavery. In this paper Garrison quotes the Declaration of Independence that all men are created equal and for the enfranchisement of the slave population. It was interesting to say that Boston was the head of the antislavery movement when they still held an abundance of slaves because the slaves were what the investors depended on. The Slaves of course were also against slavery and wanted nothing more then to end it all together. These people were not considered full humans, could not live in a home, and could barely have a family. The Massachusetts assembly soon after passed a resolution calling for the end of the importation of slaves. In 1783, slavery was abolished in Massachusetts.
The Fugitive Slave Law, was a pair of federal laws that allowed for the capture of runaway slaves and return within the United States. Local governments and communities were encouraged to capture and return these runaway slaves to their owners and anyone who helped them escape would be penalized. These acts were some of the most controversial laws of the 19th century. Soon after congress passed the Fugitive Slave act of 1793, which was similar, in the event of a capture the hunter had to bring the slave before a judge and provide evidence. Later in 1851, The Fugitive Slave Act was met with criticism, and resistance. Many thought of this to be legalizing kidnapping and many organized resistance groups and safe houses to aid the slaves in their hope of escape.
The story of Thomas Sims, the imprisoned runaway slave, shows how determined abolitionists were to get rid of slavery. These few people went against the Fugitive Slave Law and helped this runaway escape in hopes that he could get to the Underground Railroad. The journey of a runaway slave was tricky and daunting. The fear of always being caught was a risk many were willing to take. For runaway slave, Thomas Sims, he had already gone on quite a journey and if he failed this he would be brought right back to where he started, the miserable life of a slave. On and off between being captured and escaping he made it to South Boston in hopes to get word to his wife and children in Savannah. Not thinking, the telegram he sent included his return address and later that week he was caught and arrested and shouted to the streets, “Im in the hands of kidnappers!” The abolitionists in town and especially the Unitarian minister Thomas Higginson wanted to aid in the escape of this man. Many abolitionists were against the arrest of Sims and proceeded to protest at the courthouse. They planned a mission to set Sims free and Rev. Leonard J. Grimes was an important part of this mission. Since he was standing alone in this community he was allowed to visit Sims and offer him religious counsel, but on the night of the planned rescue he also delivered an important message. The plan was to get Sims to jump from the window in his cell and get to the underground railroad. As the plan was in motion and day turned to night the group saw that masons were covering the window to his cell with iron bars. Disappointment set on and no one knew how the plan got leaked, Higgins felt as though he failed. Boston had returned the first person, who was a free man in the North, back to slavery and caused embarrassment to the people because Boston has always taken pride in the antislavery movement. The case of Thomas Sims and his return to slavery propelled many people in Boston to lead the Abolitionist Movement. Just like the Sims Case many free black men and women were being captured and being accused of being a runaway slave.
On the contrary to all those who were enslaved one woman stands out in history to be way ahead of her time. A colored woman by the name of Zipporah Potter owned property in the North End. This was a shocking belief because she was really ahead of her time being that she was the first African-American landowner in Boston, male or female. Potter came to be so talked about because during the time when she was living Africans were being enslaved where she lived. It is strange that she was able to not only be free but to purchase land especially as a woman. She came from a family of slaves and inherited money to buy the house from her father who was a former slave. It is amazing how she managed to pull this off without being purchased as a slave or turned away for being a woman.
Overall, the slavery in Boston did damage but the practice was very common and the end to it was slow and gradual. Most of the 17th century New England slave trade was done by Massachusetts, specifically Boston, and their attitude towards the slaves was more gradual than other colonies. Slavery had the sad effect of dividing people into two races, which is still felt today but not as greatly as it used to be. These slaves lacked free will and many attempted to escape from their lives of serving. Slavery was a horrible thing and was considered normal for most of the early 17th and 18th centuries and took a handful of people to truly put an end to it. This history of slavery teaches us so to how we got to the place we are now because unfortunately slavery was the foundation for the economics of America.