AP U.S. History Flashcards: Slavery in the British Colonies
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 10 cards to help you master important concepts.
What was a major effect of the legal system of chattel slavery in the southern colonies?
A primary effect was the creation of a strict racial system that legally codified the status of African Americans as property for life.
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What was a major effect of the legal system of chattel slavery in the southern colonies?
A primary effect was the creation of a strict racial system that legally codified the status of African Americans as property for life.
How did enslaved Africans respond to the dehumanizing nature of slavery?
They developed both overt and covert means of resistance to maintain their family systems, culture, and religion.
What were the two main forms of resistance used by enslaved Africans?
Enslaved Africans used both overt (open, direct) and covert (hidden, subtle) methods to resist slavery.
Which British colonial regions had the largest populations of enslaved workers?
The Chesapeake and southern colonies had large numbers of enslaved workers, where chattel slavery became the dominant labor system.
Besides seeking freedom, what were the cultural goals of resistance for enslaved people?
Resistance aimed to preserve and maintain their family systems, unique culture, and religious practices against the dehumanizing effects of slavery.
What were the three main causes for the growth of the Atlantic slave trade in all British colonies?
The primary causes were abundant land, a high European demand for colonial goods, and a shortage of indentured servants.
How did European economic demands contribute to the institution of slavery in the British colonies?
High European demand for colonial goods, combined with abundant land, created an immense need for labor that was met through the Atlantic slave trade.
Explain the connection between the availability of indentured servants and the rise of slavery.
A shortage of indentured servants, who were a primary labor source, directly contributed to the increased participation of all British colonies in the Atlantic slave trade.
How did laws in the southern colonies make slavery a permanent, inherited condition?
The laws established a strict racial system that defined the descendants of African American mothers as black and enslaved in perpetuity.
What is chattel slavery?
Chattel slavery was a system where new laws created a strict racial system, defining enslaved people as property and making their status as enslaved hereditary and perpetual.