Final answer:
The spread of slavery in the colonization of North America was primarily driven by the need for a permanent and sizable labor force for cash crops such as tobacco, indigo, and rice, which led to the transition from indentured servitude to racial slavery.
Step-by-step explanation:
The spread of slavery in the colonization of North America was primarily due to the demand for labor because of cash crops like indigo, tobacco, and rice industry. In the American colonies, European settlers established plantations that demanded a considerable, permanent workforce to grow and process these labor-intensive crops. The initial labor, which included European and African indentured servants, proved inadequate to meet the increasing labor needs. Furthermore, indentured servitude was temporary, enframing the need for a more permanent solution.
Slavery, rooted in racial distinctions, offered colonial planters in cash crop regions a stable and identifiable labor source. With the existing African slave trade already in motion, African slaves became the preferred labor force because of their skills in farming, a distinguishing skin color for easy identification, and the ease of procurement from the slave trade. This process significantly amplified the presence of New World slavery in North America, particularly in regions like the Chesapeake colonies and the Low Country colonies, where the economy heavily relied on these cash crops.
Overall, the economic advantage of having a bound and racially marked workforce to sustain the lucrative agriculture sector drove the spread of slavery across the colonies, exacerbating the divide between the North and the South leading up to the Civil War.