Preview

Indentured Servants And Slavery

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
504 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Indentured Servants And Slavery
Slaves and indentured servants date back to the early 1500s when the Spanish expeditions claimed the southwestern part of the new world. Although slavery was outlawed, it was still practiced unlawfully. By the early 1700s most of the European immigrants came to the new world as indentured servants. Most came voluntary looking for better opportunities. Indentured servants served term with some being as short as three years. Moreover, unless they were felons they were even given “freedom dues” such as money, land and clothes (Chitty & Murolo, 2001). By the mid-1600s slavery was advancing. The transatlantic trade played a major role in the transportation of African slaves. Slaves had a life sentencing and the only way out was death. Not only
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Indentured Servitude Dbq
    • 197 Words
    • 1 Page

    Indentured Servitude Dbq

    In the early 1600s, companies that were given charters by the British crown established colonies in North America. These colonies served to provide the mother country with raw materials. Previously, the only people who could afford come to America were wealthy people. With the idea of indentured servitude developed by joint-stock companies, anyone willing to work for a certain number of years could come to the New World. This system worked for numerous years, however, according to a graph of servants and slaves per probate inventory in York County, Virginia, from the years 1665 to 1695, the number of indentured servants decreased immensely while, from 1680 to 1895, the number of slaves increased. (Doc 1) The graph serves to show the progression…

    • 197 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    George Washingon And Slavery: A Documentary Portrayal
    • 1867 Words
    • 8 Pages

    George Washingon And Slavery: A Documentary Portrayal

    Slavery in America began in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619, to aid in the collection of tobacco crops. But with the invention of the cotton gin in 1793, the importance of slavery only grew until its reliance would divide the nation in the American Civil War (“Slavery in America”). Most who know anything about slavery in America know this basic this basic information, but there is information that is not just common sense. In 1620, most Africans were indentured servants instead of slaves and by 1640, after a specified time of servitude, the indentured servants would become freeman and would then have land and indentured servants on their own. It was not until 1660 that there was a definite answer to what Africans were which was Africans = Negros = Slaves. Slaves overtook indentured servants as the predominate work in the 18th century because masters would have to repurchase and retrain new indentured servants, while slaves would work for the master…

    • 1867 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Indentured Servitude and Slavery in Colonial America Essay Example
    • 708 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Indentured Servitude and Slavery in Colonial America Essay Example

    Indentured servitude began in the seventeenth century when many Europeans wanted to start a life in the colonies. In many European nations the colonies were heavily advertised and families were encouraged to move to America. The problem with the Colonies’ new popularity was the expenses: most families could not afford the trip over to America, and if they could, most would not have enough money to then purchase land and support their family. Still, many people still wanted to come to America, the solution to the financial problem was indentured servitude. A European’s trip to America would be paid for if they would then be a servant for a certain number of years (usually between four and fourteen). After they served their term, an indentured servant would be given clothes, land, and some money. These servants did much needed work, especially in tobacco fields in the south; they helped to make tobacco a major cash crop in the south which was good for both the Colonies and Britain. The system also allowed for many to become individually rich, middlemen or agents would buy and sign a large group of indenture…

    • 708 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Similarities Between Indentured Servitude
    • 269 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Similarities Between Indentured Servitude

    Indentured servitude and slavery existed in the ‘New World’ primarily for economic and population growth. In the book, Going to the Source, Slavery was defined as “hereditary” and “a lifetime status” and the slave must serve for life, however, on the other hand indentured servitude was “contractual” and “voluntary” although the servant is forced to serve for a fixed amount of years. Indentured servitude and slavery are strikingly parallel to each other from the fact that both parties participate in physically demanding labor and endure severe punishments induced by their master, nevertheless, the contractual agreement to each party is quite different, plus the primary skin color of the of party heavily impacts the treatment and escape punishments…

    • 269 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Indentured Servants Research Paper
    • 270 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Indentured Servants Research Paper

    Money and Power are the two main factors towards the transformation indentured servants to slaves in Early the United States. Slaves were cheaper and easier to “take care of” compared to having an indentured servant. The growth of agriculture at this time had a good deal of farmland/plantation owners wanting to become the best; The one that makes the most money or the one that has the most powers. From 1603 to 1740, within the time span of 137 years change has started laws being created, the labor forces started to shift and a rebellion was forming.…

    • 270 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Difference Between Slavery And Indentured Servitude
    • 163 Words
    • 1 Page

    Difference Between Slavery And Indentured Servitude

    Slavery and indentured servitude differentiated because of how they operated and the way the workers were treated. Indentured servants found work by offering their services for a number of years in exchange for a ride to the colonies. They were treated with a lot more respect than slaves because once their term of service was over, they were free to live how they wanted in the colonies. Slaves, on the other hand, were forced to work for their entire lives and were passed down from generation to generation of the colonist families. They were treated like objects, they had no citizenship and were denied basic human rights. Slavery eventually replaced indentured servitude because it was less costly and the slaves had to work for their entire lives…

    • 163 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Southern Colonists: Difference Between Indentured Servants And Slaves
    • 1700 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Southern Colonists: Difference Between Indentured Servants And Slaves

    According to "Indentured servant” (n.d.), an indentured servant is “a person who came to America and was placed under contract to work for another over a period of time.” This meant that the servant chose to become a slave in the respect that they worked for no pay. These were people who wanted a new life in the New World and were willing to sign a contract to work for no money and earn their freedom and perhaps more. Their trip across the Atlantic was paid for by their “master” and they were given room and board during their contract (ushistory.org, 2013).…

    • 1700 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Who Is De Tocqueville?
    • 678 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Who Is De Tocqueville?

    Some of the first Africans to come to the New World had either been captured in wars or by raids done by enemy tribes, and then sold to English settlers (Takaki 51). The Puritans had used the Africans and other whites as indentured slaves but over time it slowly morphed into slavery (Takaki). When both white and black indentured servants would run away, the blacks would more likely receive a punishment of “servitude of life” while a white run away would receive more time added to their service (Takaki 55-56). This “servitude of life” soon became a dejure in 1661 and slavery was born (Takaki). Due to slavery de Tocqueville states that “the Negro has no family: woman is merely the temporary com- panion of his pleasures, and his children are on an equality with himself from the moment of their birth (de Tocqueville 2).…

    • 678 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Indentured Servants Vs Slavery
    • 164 Words
    • 1 Page

    Indentured Servants Vs Slavery

    In the 1600s black and white people related to each other by the first African indentured servants arrived in the Virginia Colony of the United States of America in 1619. They were indentured servants and not slaves because the Spanish had baptized them and the English believed that baptized people could not be enslaved. This era was truly the beginning of white opinions dominating Black lives across continents. However, blacks and white worked side by side, married each other freely, ran away from their masters together and even rose up against the rich together, guns were drawn. Blacks had the same rights as whites of the same social status. From 1640 to 1723 the American colonies, particularly in the South, passed laws that ate away…

    • 164 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Indentured Servants Research Paper
    • 1128 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Indentured Servants Research Paper

    Throughout U.S. history the United States has encountered many stressful and life taking hardships, and all for what? For the world to continue growing, for each individual to feel safe and to be created equal. History is a word that we look upon and think of famous people who changed our way of living, who went beyond what they were capable of in order to be remembered. People like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, John Hancock, all these men did great things. Yet we still forget to remember those who went through terrible hardships in order to survive back in those days. I’m talking about indentured servants; these particular individuals lived lives we couldn’t even imagine. The hardships they went through are unforgettable,…

    • 1128 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Lives of Two Indentured Slaves
    • 682 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Lives of Two Indentured Slaves

    Often, people became indentured slaves due to hardships that were inevitable during their time. Two examples of such people are John Harrower and Richard Frethorne. While John Harrower lived a somewhat respectable and comfortable life as and indentured servant, Richard Frethorne had a much more difficult time. One reason for this may be because of their time differences; Jon Harrower is from the late 1700s, while Richard Frethorne is from the mid 1600s. Between John Harrower and Richard Frethorne , there are several similarities and contrasting differences which classify them both as indentured slaves living very different lives. Both men experienced similar hardships, different home lives and conditions, and also similar and different physical and emotional situations and feelings.…

    • 682 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Indentured Servintude
    • 488 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Indentured Servintude

    During the late Middle Ages the Black Death and, many troubles declined the population of England. By the 1500’s immunity was gained to fight disease. England soon began to burst in numbers. This overpopulation, economic depression, and religious repression led to the great migration to the new world. There were many who did not have the availability to migrate at the time. Those individuals were faced with the choice of indentured servitude. This decision forced them to give up 4-7 years of their life. Colonial masters instituted indentured servitude for an opportunity to start over in the new world because of the disease, economy failure, and religious freedom. Black slavery and Native American slavery was formed because of the economy rising in England, the death of servants, and rebellions.…

    • 488 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Development of the Labor Movement: Slavery and Indentured Servants
    • 1646 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Development of the Labor Movement: Slavery and Indentured Servants

    People of America never got off on the right foot. The colonial elite began tormenting those in the lower classes the minute they arrived, as “…huge numbers of white servants didn’t live to see the day of freedom. In the early days, the majority of servants died still in bondage”(Jordan and Walsh 111). The indentures, enslaved, and non-elite were set in bondage and many did not live to see freedom. They were treated like animals, not humans. The elite kept power and control over the lower class and enslaved them. They did this by torturing them and making examples of them. Although we like to believe our country was founded on truth, liberty, and equality, the elite members of society used law enforcement, monetary authority, and physical dominance, such as whipping, years in bondage, loss of body parts, and torture, to keep control over the non-elites.…

    • 1646 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Indentured Servants
    • 1063 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Indentured Servants

    Poor English citizens signing their lives away through a contract; as shown in document one produced indentured servants. The very first line states ‘This indenture made’- made, almost as if they have been transformed from the person they currently are into nothing more than a servant to their master. ‘’In such service and imployment’ and ‘shall there imploy him, according to the custome of the Countrey in the like kind’ states that the servant must do whatever the master asks of him. There is nothing in the contract to protect the servant, the master is fully able to take advantage of the power he now has over his servant. Although the servant is promised that master will ‘pay for his passing, and to find him with meat, drink, apparel and lodging, with other necessaries during the said terme, and at the end of the said terme, to give him one whole yeers provision of corne, and fifty acres of land’, there is nothing in the contract stating that it will be made sure the servant gets everything he is promised. In Document 3, we see the harsh reality of servitude.…

    • 1063 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Consequences Of Indentured Servitude
    • 1032 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Consequences Of Indentured Servitude

    Although slavery diminished as a result of the movements in the 1800s, the European demand for labour did not; the thriving sugar plantations and the economic prosperity as a result of the agricultural successes further demanded cheap labour from the poor, uneducated East and South Asians. Despite its apparent similarity to slavery, the Europeans attempted elevating the status of indentured labourers in order to attract enough individuals to satisfy their need for cheap labour. Documents 2, 3, 4, and 6 consider the cause of indentured servitude and its contrast with slave labour, while documents 1, 5, 7, 8, and 9 reflect the consequences of indentured servitude and its similarities in working and living conditions to those of slave labourers.…

    • 1032 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics