AMERICAN HISTORY ESSAY 2
Project 1 SSTH 033
power over us. Hence, this has made life in slavery even harder because the mistreatment which
we undergo on a daily basis is now enshrined in the laws of Virginia. The law allows the master
to mistreat his or her slaves and to put them into maximum usage for the maximum economic
benefit, and in case a slave resists, then he or she ought to be hanged (Bradburn& John, 2011).
Many people including my friends in the nearby plantations have perished since this law was
enacted. Fear, despair, and hopelessness are what characterize most of us, the Africans in
slavery. We do not have anywhere to run to because we are cut off from the rest of the world,
and in case any of us tried to escape, we would eventually die.
Virginia’s core economic activity is tobacco farming (Bradburn& John, 2011). Most of the
tobacco that is cultivated in Virginia is exported to the United Kingdom and other parts of the
globe (Bradburn& John, 2011). Slave trade is also a booming economic activity in Virginia as
the demand for salves to work in the plantations is high (Bradburn& John, 2011). The economy
of the state of Virginia is controlled by few elite families who own large farms. The richest
among the citizens control the political environment of Virginia by sitting in the governor’s
council (Bradburn& John, 2011). The primary concern of the state is the declining demand for
tobacco in England and the periodic crises of low prices associated with high yields and weak
demand. Thus, the masters have been having lengthy discussions on how to ensure increased
productivity from the slaves, an aspect that has made our lives more miserable.
In Virginia, the main religion is Christianity with the Church of England as the main church in
the state (Bradburn& John, 2011). The colonialists are required by law to attend its services and
support its ministers financially through the taxes levied by the state (Bradburn& John, 2011).
The church in Virginia doubles as a religious as well as civil authority by providing social
welfare and also delivering the moral offenders to the court to face justice (Bradburn& John,
