Final answer:
Anglo-Saxons viewed slavery as a foundational element of their social and economic system in the British colonies, with a racial component that provided a shared identity among white colonists. It was rationalized as a necessity for maintaining the social hierarchy and providing whites with the opportunity to engage in more civilized pursuits, contrary to the varied and often less harsh forms of slavery practiced in Africa.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Anglo-Saxons had complex views on slavery, which was a significant part of the social and economic structure from the late seventeenth century into the eighteenth century, especially in the British colonies in America. By the late eighteenth century, racial slavery had taken root in the law and soil of British North American colonies, creating an exaggerated sense of status among White colonists and offering them a shared racial bond and identity. The institution of slavery was justified by slavery proponents through a paternalistic lens and mudsill theory, positing that it provided an essential underclass to carry out menial tasks, thereby elevating the status of white individuals and permitting them to advance in civilization. Unlike African forms of slavery, which often entailed temporary conditions and were not based on race, the New World slavery system was heritable and lifelong. Slavery in New England was legally recognized as early as 1641, and Northern business elites showed ambivalence towards slavery, while the middle class largely opposed it due to its contradiction with their work ethic values.