The first African slaves were brought to the North American colony of Jamestown, Virginia in 1619, to aid in the production of such lucrative crops as tobacco. Slavery was practiced throughout the American colonies in the 17th and 18th centuries, and African-American slaves helped build the economic foundations of the new nation.
Civil War Photographs Home Page 1861 | 1862 |1863 |1864 |1865 |Other Photographs Encyclopedia of American History by Richard B. Morris. When Abraham Lincoln, a known opponent of slavery, was elected president, the South Carolina legislature perceived a threat.
