Opposing Views of Slavery in the Original 13 Colonies
In the Southern region of the 13 colonies, farming was the main source of income. Since wealthy plantation owners were dependent on slaves to work in their fields, slavery was very popular. In North and South Carolina, the colony founders even encouraged slave ownership by giving away land based on how many slaves a person owned. As the slave population grew, landowners began to fear a slave rebellion, so they wrote harsh slave codes. Slaves in Virginia weren't allowed to leave the plantation without written permission, and even small crimes were punishable by beating, branding or death.
In New England and the Middle Colonies, there was still slavery, but it was much less popular because there was less need for them. Here, the soil wasn't good for farming, and the growing season was much shorter than in the South. Slaves had a lot more freedom, and they were treated more humanely than in the South. Slaves in New York, a New England colony, were often granted their freedom if they served loyally for a long time. Pennsylvania, a Middle colony, had a large Quaker population that believed in the humanity of blacks and opposed slavery. Here, schools, churches, and marriage were open to the black population. The black family achieved some level of stability, and the community was generally free from violence.
