Slavery

Often called America's "original sin," slavery is arguably the greatest stain on the nation's history. Unfree African and African-American laborers contributed to the growth and development of the country, from their introduction in 17th-century Virginia to their emancipation in 1865. Despite its pervasiveness, slavery differed from region to region and era to era, and, in spite of the horrors of the institution, enslaved people carved out lives and created unique cultures and distinct traditions that enabled their survival. The cultural residue of slavery remains with us today in the modern United States, as Americans continue to struggle with issues of race and race relations born out of the era of bondage. Slavery in the United States examines numerous controversies related to the history of slavery, including slavery and the American Revolution, the Constitution and Bible as pro- or antislavery documents, the transatlantic slave trade, colonization of free blacks, abolition, s