Who were the slaves in the Chesapeake and why?

The slaves in the Chesapeake region were primarily of African descent, brought to the Americas through the transatlantic slave trade. They were forced into labor on tobacco plantations, which became the dominant cash crop in the area during the 17th and 18th centuries. The demand for labor to cultivate these plantations led to the establishment of a racialized system of slavery that dehumanized and exploited enslaved individuals for economic gain. This system persisted for centuries, deeply impacting the social and economic structures of the region.