Slavery in America began in the English colony of Jamestown in 1619. It started with the purchase of 20 Africans from an English warship named the "White Lyon." The Colonists in the Virginia Colony bought the contracts of the Africans as indentured servants. It became a custom to hold slaves for life in the colonies. During the 17th and 18th centuries, slaves were used to raise crops of tobacco and food crops. After the invention of the cotton gin in 1793, cotton became the most important crop. Slavery became a critical part of the South's economy.