Final answer:
Slavery in the US had its origins in the seventeenth century. It existed alongside indentured servitude and became a national institution by the early 1800s. The institution of slavery changed as the US expanded westward, with cotton becoming a major crop and the reliance on enslaved labor increasing.
Step-by-step explanation:
The historical origins of slavery in the US can be traced back to the seventeenth century when the first Africans arrived in Jamestown in 1619. Slavery existed alongside indentured servitude as the primary mode of labor on tobacco and rice plantations in the South. In the North, people also purchased slaves to work in their fields and homes.
By the early 1800s, slavery had become a national institution, not just confined to the South. The institution of slavery in the US underwent significant changes over this period. In the early 1600s, slaves were mainly used for agricultural labor in the southern colonies.
However, as the United States expanded westward, slavery became deeply ingrained in the South's agrarian economy, especially with the growth of cotton plantation agriculture. The invention of the cotton gin in 1793 led to a massive increase in cotton production, which further solidified the reliance on enslaved labor.