The colonial period in America (1607-1763) was a critical time in the shaping of America and also brought about great changes in the lives African Americans. This era in history of the United States has brought more shame to the face of America with the deliberate method of keeping black people in captivity. African Americans began their lives in the New World with relative freedom and a new start; however this freedom slowly evolved into slavery and exploitation due to the increase in the price of land, racism, cheaper laborers, and the growth of plantations. Therefore, it is imperative to understand how much the role of African Americans was slowly altered into the forced laborers and slaves through the Colonial era.

When the first Africans were off-loaded from a Dutch slaver in 1619 and sold to the English settlers of Jamestown Virginia, they were not treated as slaves but...