Can you think of ways the colonists could have been successful without slaves?

Depends on how much the colonists actually know about making a settlement and also how many there are around the area. seeing as how today we do just fine without slaves it is reasonable to see that we didn't need them. but either way they would have more knowledge about the environment around them.  

Ohhh i know now they should get there fat buts up and not make people property and not make them work for them people are not products to be bought and sold slaves shouldn't have been a thing

Yes, some people used the depression to the max. not everybody had stocks, and those that didn't bought many things inexpensive, so that when prices rose again, they were much more richer than beforehope this