ant to the economic life
of the colony than the indentured servants.[7-47]

The chief purchasers at this time were men of large estates. The
advantages of slave labor were manifest to planters of the type of
William Byrd or William Fitzhugh, men who had built up fortunes by their
business ability. It is but natural that they should have turned early
from the indentured servant to stock their plantations with the cheaper
and more remunerative African workers.

As the English secured a stronger hold upon the African trade slaves
arrived in ever increasing numbers. During the years from 1699 to 1708
no less than 6,843 came in, a number perhaps exceeding the entire
importations of the Seventeenth century.[7-48] In the summer of 1705
alone 1,800 negroes arrived.[7-49] With what rapidity the black man was
taking the place of the indentured servant and the poor freeman as the
chief laborer of the colony is shown by the fact that in 1708, in a
total tithable list of 30,000, no less than 12,000 were slaves.
President Jennings at the same time reported that the number of
servants was inconsiderable.[7-50] "Before the year 1680 what negroes
came to Virginia were usually from Barbadoes," Jennings told the Board
of Trade in 1708. "Between 1680 and 1698 the negro trade become more
frequent, tho not in any proportion to what it hath been of late, during
which the African Company have sent several ships and others by their
licence having bought their slaves of the Company brought them here for
sale, among which lately Alderman Jeffreys and Sir Jeffry Jeffreys were
principally concerned."[7-51]

The wars of Charles XII, however, which proved disastrous to the Baltic
trade, and the War of the Spanish Succession which cut off exports of
tobacco to France and Spain, caused a serious decline in prices and made
it impossible for the planters to continue the large purchases of
slaves. This fact, together with the duty which had been imposed with
the express purpose of keeping them out, reduced the importations to a
minimum during the years from 1710 to 1718.[7-52] But with the reopening
of the tobacco market and the return of prosperity to Virginia, the
black stream set in again with redoubled force. In 1730, out of a total
population of 114,000, no less than 30,000 were negroes.[7-53] In other
words the slaves, who in 1670 had constituted but five per cent of the
people, now comprised twenty-six per cent. Slavery, from being an
insignific