Reasons for Slave Labour  

Why Did Slaveowners Use Enslaved Labour?

According to Burns (2024), Plantation owners in the American South used enslaved African people as their main source of labour. There were several reasons for this, and most of them were based on greed, racism, and power.

1. Economic Motivations (Domar, 2017)

• Slavery = free labour. Slaveowners didn’t pay their workers, so they made huge profits.

• Enslaved people produced more than they cost to buy, especially on large-scale plantations.

• More crops = more profit from selling to Europe and North America.

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2. Justifications by Slaveowners (Domar, 2017)

• Some slaveowners claimed slavery was “natural” or “better” for Africans — this was false and based on racism.

• They said slaves were “uncivilized” and needed to be “controlled” — these ideas were used to excuse cruel treatment.

• Laws were made to protect slaveowners, not the slaves.

3. Racial Ideologies (Domar, 2017)

• People of African descent were treated as inferior and viewed as property, not as human beings.

• These beliefs were spread through education, religion, and law, especially in the Southern U.S.

• It became part of a systemic structure that kept slavery alive for centuries.

Activity 2

Instructions to Learners

Imagine you are an enslaved worker on a cotton plantation in the American South. Describe what a day in your life might look like.

• What time does your day start and end?

• What kind of work are you doing?

• How are you treated by the overseers or owners?

• What emotions or thoughts do you have?

Answer this question:

"Why do you think plantation owners chose to use enslaved people instead of paying workers?"

Write a detailed diary entry (8–10 sentences) and include both parts.

Assessment Rubric (Out of 10)