SLAVERY AND SLAVE-OWNING LAND PLANTATIONS IN NORTH AMERICA IN THE CONTEXT OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL-LEGAL TRANSFORMATIONS

In this article, the authors examine the emergence and evolution of slavery in the territory of the modern United States in the context of socio-economic, political and legal realities. Particular emphasis is placed on the imprint the institution of slavery left on land use and land management. The authors proceed from the fact that the mechanisms for the implementation of forced labor on the plantations of the New World were extremely diverse: from centralized brigades to systems of individual tasks, approaching piece work. Based on the data obtained during the study, it is concluded that where "natural" economic conditions were favorable, slavery as an institution was quite compatible with the production of a wide range of agricultural products. Therefore, the association of slavery with the specific geographical and climatic conditions of the South is a serious omission in understanding the essence of this phenomenon.