The Origins of Slavery

The question of what initially caused slavery can be argued both ways. Some historians like Winthrop Jordan argue that the white Europeans enslaved Africans because of their race. Others like Oscar and Mary Handlin argue the idea that slavery was a way to increase economic productivity, not racism. While race was a way for the white Europeans to simply write off the inhumane treatment of African slaves, it was not the initial reason for slavery. White colonists needed servants to work their fields and while indentured servants worked for a short amount of time, the long term cheap solution were slaves.