Slavery began during the 1630s and 1640s. At that time slave owners made it clear that slaves would serve their masters for ever, as well as their children.

Slavery existed in every colony in the United States. By 1820 there were only 3000 slaves in the North, almost all of them worked on the farm fields. But in the south slavery was more popular. Nearly half of the population in Virginia and South Carolina were slaves. Slavery still remained after the Revolutionary War.

Slaves would clear forests for planting and to build dams. They also built dikes, roads, and some buildings for plantations. During the development of phase, slaves worked on unknown territories. Often the territories were very dangerous. In the south slaves cleared land and did heavy jobs in really hot, humid climates. During the high-profit phase slaves were driven badly to plant, harvest, and cultivate the crops for market.

Slavery ended in the 1860s. On January 1863 Abraham Lincoln signed the Emanicipation Proclamation which proclaimed to free slaves. On December 1865 the thirteenth amendment was signed which declared "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall have exist the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."