In 1619: Jamestown and the Forging of American Democracy, James Horn poses this question:
Did slavery and racial prejudice gradually evolve in Virginia during the half century following the arrival of the Angolans, or did de facto enslavement of Africans begin in 1619?
While Horn argues that racial slavery began in 1619, Taylor contends this was not predetermined but a product of colonization, which follows closely to Bailyns claim that racial slavery had no prior design.
This assignment asks you to take a side in the debate. To do so, you will have to carefully evaluate each authors claims and evidence, pointing out their relative strengths and weaknesses, in support of your argument.
Conclude your paper with some broader implications of race and the founding of American democracy.
Support your argument with specific evidence from class readings only. Be sure to include a separate works cited page at the end of your paper (this page does not count as the total length of your paper).
