Largely, this was due to a shortage of European indentured servants, an end to the Royal African Company's monopoly over the slave trade (competition among slave traders led to a decrease in slave prices), and a realization among the colonists that slaveholding was far more profitable than the employment of indentured servants. ... Similarly, the Indians were seen only as sources of trade, and as useful allies during times of war with other Europeans. ... The rise in international trade of both agricultural and manufactured goods also led some early Americans to become merchants and trade...

• Word Count: 2312
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: Graduate