The northern colonies were more focused on industry and didn't have the right soil and climate to farm cotton (which is what slaves were used for). The southern states' relied on the export of cotton for profit while the north used cotton in industry during the industrial revolution.
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The northern colonies had fewer slaves than the southern colonies mainly because their economy did not rely heavily on slave labor for large-scale agriculture like the southern colonies did. The northern colonies also had different industries such as shipping, trade, and manufacturing that did not require as much slave labor. Additionally, the cold climate and rocky terrain in the North were less conducive to large plantations that required a significant number of slaves.
The majority of indentured servants were in the northern colonies, such as New York and Pennsylvania, while the southern colonies, like Virginia and South Carolina, had more slaves due to their reliance on plantation agriculture. Of these, Virginia had the most indentured servants, while South Carolina had relatively fewer slaves compared to other southern colonies.
Around 75% of southern whites owned fewer than five slaves. The majority of white southerners owned no slaves at all, as slaves were primarily held by a small percentage of wealthy plantation owners.
Actually it would have been helpful to have each slave counted as a full person because that would have meant more representatives in Congress. It was the northern colonies that didn't want the slaves counted as whole person. The south all ready had the largest States and to add the slave population in would have made them very powerful. By 1860 there would be 6 million slaves in the south so counting them as 3/4ths of a person wasn't great, but better than counting them as a whole person.
A very small percentage of White Southerners owned slaves before The Civil War, something around 5%. However, Slaveowners would rent slaves to non slave owning farmers for a few days work. That way small farmers could get their crops planted and harvested. Still, most of the time small farmers would do most of the work on their own farms.
Serfs were tied to the land and could not be sold, whereas slaves were considered property and were often bought and sold. Serfs typically had some rights and were subject to fewer harsh treatments compared to slaves. Serfs were also a part of the feudal system, while slaves were seen as items of property in various societies.