Explain why enslaving the Indigenous peoples of the Americas was largely unsuccessful in filling the need of the plantations.

Question

European colonizers’ cruelty meant that many people—Indigenous people as well as colonizers—died. As a result, there were not enough people left to enslave.
Slavery did not exist in the Americas at the time of European colonization.
European colonizers’ cruelty, as well as the spread of disease, meant that many Indigenous people died. As a result, there were not enough people left for colonizers to enslave.
European colonizers were kind to Indigenous peoples. As a result, the colonizers did not want to enslave Indigenous peoples.

Answer 1

The correct explanation for why enslaving the Indigenous peoples of the Americas was largely unsuccessful in fulfilling the needs of the plantations is:

European colonizers’ cruelty, as well as the spread of disease, meant that many Indigenous people died. As a result, there were not enough people left for colonizers to enslave.

This reflects the historical context accurately. The arrival of Europeans led to widespread violence and exploitation, and the introduction of diseases such as smallpox devastated Indigenous populations, decimating communities and significantly reducing their numbers. Consequently, this left European colonizers with an insufficient labor force for their plantations, which contributed to the shift toward importing enslaved Africans as a more viable solution to meet labor demands.