Invasion from All Directions—Stolen Lands, Stolen Peoples 1600-1699

1600+

International American Indian slave trade in 13 colonies ignites

Spaniards enslave Native Americans. Image: Theodor de Bry
Spaniards enslave Native Americans. Image: Theodor de Bry

Demand for labor in the West Indies grows with the cultivation of sugar cane. Europeans enslave and export Native Americans to the “sugar islands.” British settlers, especially those in the southern colonies, purchase or capture Native Americans to use as forced labor in cultivating tobacco, rice, and indigo (Gallay, 2002). The international trade of American Indian slaves leads to depopulation and decimation for some and near-total annihilation for others (Hixson, 2013).

Traumatic Event