Worksheets and No Prep Teaching Resources
Worksheets and No Prep Teaching Resources
Reading Comprehension Worksheets
Black History and Blacks in U.S. History
A Nation Divided
(1840-1861)

Slave Economy

Black History and Blacks in U.S. History
Black History and Blacks in U.S. History


Slave Economy
Print Slave Economy Reading Comprehension


Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 7 to 8
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   7.07

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    labor-intensive, callous, chattel, boon, brutality, servitude, bearable, misery, strife, emancipation, destruction, heavily, shores, continuation, eighteenth, indifferent
     content words:    United States


Slave Economy
By Mary L. Bushong
  

1     Slavery has been a fact of life throughout history, and no race has been left untouched by its shackles. When the colonies were first being settled, labor was hard to come by, and it was procured any way possible. For some, it was through indentured servitude. For others, it was through slavery.
 
2     In the early years of the United States, many people came over the ocean as indentured servants. They could not afford the money for passage on their own. Instead they would sign a contract agreeing to work a certain number of years for the one who could pay. The term of servitude usually lasted 3-7 years. While many white people came over with that arrangement, several blacks did as well. A few of the first Africans who were sold on those shores were given similar contracts. While they might be treated like slaves, it was bearable because it was for a short time. However, it was not long before all the new black arrivals were designated as slaves for life. As that changed, slavery spread to all the colonies.
 
3     The Northern states did not become so heavily dependent on slavery. The rolling, sometimes rough ground did not lend itself to large plantations. It was useful for industrialization. Hills and rivers often provided the location and power for machines to produce goods. This led to a reduced need for slave labor. As the need was reduced, so was the tolerance for slavery.

Paragraphs 4 to 10:
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Black History and Blacks in U.S. History
             Black History and Blacks in U.S. History


A Nation Divided
(1840-1861)

             A Nation Divided
(1840-1861)



United States
             United States


    American Government  
 
    Black History and Blacks in U.S. History  
 
    Children in History  
 
    Government Careers  
 
    Hispanic Heritage  
 
    How Can I Help?  
 
 
    Immigration  
 
    National Parks and Monuments  
 
    Native Americans  
 
    Presidents of the United States  
 
    Women's History  
 


United States History
    A Nation Divided
(1840-1861)
 
 
    A New Nation
(1776-1830)
 
 
    After the Civil War
(1865-1870)
 
 
    American Revolution  
 
    Cold War
(1947-1991)
 
 
    Colonial America (1492-1776)  
 
    Lewis and Clark
(1804-1806)
 
 
    Pearl Harbor  
 
    Spanish American War (1898)  
 
    The 1890's  
 
    The 1900's  
 
    The 1910's  
 
    The 1920's  
 
    The 1930's  
 
 
    The 1940's  
 
    The 1950's  
 
    The 1960's  
 
    The 1970's  
 
    The 1980's  
 
    The 1990's  
 
    The 2000's  
 
    The Civil War
(1861-1865)
 
 
    The Great Depression
(1929-1945)
 
 
    The United States Grows
(1865-1900)
 
 
    The War of 1812  
 
    Wild, Wild West  
 
    World War I
(1914-1918)
 
 
    World War II  
 


50 States

             Fifty States Theme Unit


Document Based Activities
      Document Based Activities



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