Virginia and Maryland operated under the property rights system that encouraged landowners to bring indentured servants from overseas by offering land for every person they brought. Although this reduced the need for labor, it did not solve the problem. In 1619, the first African slaves were brought to the Jamestown colony for the purpose of working on tobacco plantations. From there, slavery spread across America and they were used for a wide variety of purposes, from farming to housework. By the end of the 18th century, between 6 and 7 million slaves were imported to the New World. For many years, slaves worked in agriculture throughout the United States. After the American Revolution, many colonists began to link their oppression by the British with that of black slaves. Many of these settlers demanded the abolition of