Blog 3

Although racism was a major factor, I believe that economics played a larger role in the slave trade. In the beginning, although there were certainly preconceived notions according to race, I think Europeans engaged in the slave trade mainly because they saw it as a way to obtain cheap labor and, as a result, dramatically increase their profits. As time progressed and the ethics of such an inhumane institution undoubtedly came under fire, I think changing ideas about race began to serve as the justification for the continuance of the slave trade. With the rise of scientific racism and the idea that some races were inherently inferior to others, Europeans seemed to embrace this belief as an excuse for maintaining the slave trade and the profits associated with it. In the end, although racism certainly played a large role as it seemingly “justified” the institution, economics and the pursuit of profit always seemed to be the driving force behind the slave trade. Thus, without the perception of economic advantage, the slave trade might not have flourished the way it did. One such example of this was seen in the different courses slavery took in the North and South. Despite the persistence of racism in the North, slavery largely ended in this region shortly after the American Revolution because it was not seen as a necessity for the industries in the area. Contrastingly, however, slavery grew in the South during this time because of economic factors such as the rise in demand for cotton.