Final answer:
The rise in slave trade in Georgia post-American Revolution was due to the development of cotton plantations, efficiency of cotton processing from the cotton gin, and the demand from textile industries. Enslaved Africans were preferred over indentured servants and Native Americans due to the long-term investment they represented and their suitability for the grueling plantation labor.
Step-by-step explanation:
The slave trade in Georgia increased following the American Revolution primarily because of the development of large cotton plantations on the coast. This increase was due to the perfect storm of the invention of the cotton gin in 1794, which made the processing of cotton much more efficient, and the growing demand for cotton to supply the burgeoning textile industries, both in America and Great Britain.
With these economic incentives, the reliance on the forced labor of African slaves became more pronounced as the plantation economy expanded. Although racial slavery was a foundational economic element of the American colonies, the aftermath of the revolution emphasized the paradox of liberty for some and enslavement for others, with the ruling classes cherishing the freedom that the labor of enslaved people afforded them.
Historically, African slaves were chosen over indentured servants and Native Americans for numerous reasons. Unlike indentured servants, who could gain their freedom after their term of service, slaves were in bondage for life, which made them a more long-term investment. Furthermore, the high mortality rates of Native Americans due to disease and warfare, along with an insufficient supply of indentured servants, led plantation owners to opt for African slave labor which, unfortunately, became seen as the most cost-effective solution to their labor needs.