Indentured Servants vs. Slaves

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Indentured Servants vs. Slaves Sum Dang HIS/110 4-29-2013 Kimberlee Neitz Indentured Servants vs. Slaves There are several differences between slaves and indentured servants. Slaves had no choice about coming over to America and were often kidnapped to be sold as slaves in the America. Indentured servants were individuals who agreed to work without payment for another individual for an amount of time they agreed on, often more than a few years. Indentured servants by law were still free, they had basic civil rights. Often in debt or longing for passage to America would bring people to this kind of agreement. After their time of service was settled, indentured servants were free to continue their lives. The difference between slavery and indentured servants were often unclear. Some masters treated their servants as slaves, beating and threating them, and forcing them to work long horrendous hours. Other masters held up their agreement excellently and treated their servants well. During the 17th and 18th centuries throughout the English colonies, indentured servants and slaves made up the main workforce for land-owning colonists. For a long period of time, both indentured servants and slaves seemed to stand on the same status and were treated about the same. However, as time proceeded, changes in the colonies also brought changes between these two different groups. The path to the Revolution carried new principles regarding freedom and liberty, causing colonists to question their own ideas of freedom and liberty, as well as the idea of what freedom and liberty should mean to slaves and indentured servants. Indentured servants and slaves were similar in many ways in their lifestyles, the way they were treated themselves, and the way their children were treated. Their differences become very obvious when discussing their development into slavery or

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