This research paper will be used to examine the development of slavery in the United States, beginning in the 17th century by Virginia settlers. It will analyze the spread of slavery in the American colonies and identify disagreements between the North and the South. The journal will explain the daily lives of slaves and explain how the oppression of black slaves was unjust, showcasing the Civil War and how it began. It will also express the Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments. This will help us understand how slaves achieved their freedom. Slavery in America began when European settlers in North America turned to African slaves as an inexpensive and more abundant source of labor than indentured servants. Indentured servants were poor English colonists who gave up their freedom for three to seven years in exchange for passage to America. They received a payment called a “freedom fee” at the end of their contract and were released. European settlers needed more workers for their plantations. In 1619, a Dutch ship landed twenty captive Africans and sold them in Jamestown, Virginia. Slavery quickly spread as increasing numbers of Africans were shipped to the colonies. Historians estimate that around six to seven million slaves were imported from Africa during the 18th century alone. This importation has deprived the African continent of some of its healthiest and most capable men and women. Slaves had been treated as savages before they were even brought to America. During the slave trade, the transportation of slaves across the Atlantic, many slaves lost their lives during the journey itself. The crossing took about 60 to 90 days, but some...... middle of paper ......pation Proclamation (1863)." Our documents -. Np, nd Web. November 30, 2013. "Fifteenth Amendment " History.com. A&E Television Networks, nd Web. November 30, 2013. "Fourteenth Amendment." History.com. A&E Television Networks, nd Web. Nov. 29, 2013. Lincoln, Abraham. "Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation ." Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, January 1, 1863. Web. November 29, 2013. Lincoln, Abraham. "Letter to Horace Greeley." Letter to the Hon. Documents in American History." 15th Amendment to the Constitution: Primary Documents of American History (Virtual Programs and Services, Library of Congress). Np, nd Web. November 29, 2013. “Slavery in America.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, nd Web. Nov. 30, 2013. “Thirteenth Amendment.” » History.com, nd Web.. 2013.