Slavery and Indentured Servitude
Freedom is a right that everyone deserves to have. However, this right was taken away from Africans in 1619 as they were transported to Jamestown and used as unpaid laborers. Indentured servitude was also used as a way to grow the colonies. Poor people paid their way to the colonies in labor.
Indentured servants paid their way with seven years of labor in exchange for ship transport from England to the New World.Slavery and indentured servitude set a path for the New Colonies of America by creating a large workforce and helping to grow the economy of The American Colonies. Without these work forces, it would have been a lot harder to develop America. Indentured servitude helped America develop through its earliest years because the idea was brought up before slavery was. The British economy was not doing so well, therefore there were many poor British citizens.
These citizens wanted to start a new life so the idea of indentured servitude developed to help these people. “Indentured servants paid for their ship passage with seven years of labor instead of money, because they could not afford the expensive fee to travel to the colonies”. Instead they would work for a private farm or they would help develop towns and colonies working publicly. After those seven years, they were released from labor and were considered free citizens. As the British economy began to strengthen again, the indentured servant population began to dwindle, and there were less poor citizens.
Indentured servitude led to the colonization of America by creating a labor source for colonies, plantations and building. Colonial America needed a labor source and indentured servitude was a great way to develop one. “Indentured servitude did not last forever though, due to the lack of poor British citizens that wanted to move to America”. America needed a new labor force so that it could continue to grow. Indentured servitude helped, but it did not help enough, so slavery became the answer to Colonial America’s labor problems. The first slaves helped America become what it is today.
African labor began in Jamestown in 1619 when a group of 20 “Negroes” came by ship to Colonial America. It is unknown whether these people were enslaved or indentured, however it began a revolution that would change the world forever. The idea of using slavery as a large workforce to grow Colonial America came up in the early 1600’s. America need a bigger labor force due to the lack of indentured servants, and slavery was the answer to their problems. “This idea turned into humongous development that grew the slave population to about 27,000 throughout The British North American Colonies”.
Slavery was a very controversial labor force in the colonies. Many Quakers in Pennsylvania believed that slavery violated Christianity and the right of men. “They passed laws in 1688, 1693 and 1696, but they were abolished in 1712 by The British Parliament”. A petition to abolish slavery in The United States and block any states from joining The United States that allowed slavery within their borders stated, “The petition of the undersigned citizens of Pennsylvania, respectfully asks that you will exert your full constitutional power to the abolition of all provisions of The Constitution and laws, which any manner sanction or sustain slavery, or which authorize a representation for slaves, or which make any distinction of rights or privileges by reason of complexion, and that you will refuse to admit any additional slave-holding state into the American Union.” Pennsylvanian Congress Thirty-nine citizens of Pennsylvania signed this petition and presented it to the first session of the twenty-eighth Congress.
This petition was objected, and slavery continued to grow throughout the United States, especially in the South. Slavery was growing as a labor force throughout The Colonies. So much that by 1700 slaves made up about ten percent of the population in America. This shows how much America relied on slavery. In the South, slaves were used for agriculture on plantations while in the North slaves were not used as much, only for butlers, servants and small farms.
The use of so much slave labor was causing more uprisings throughout America. Slaveholders forced new laws upon their slaves. Most slaves could not own or carry a weapon, could not own anything and could not leave plantations without a pass. With these laws came punishment. If a slave broke a rule, he or she could be whipped or killed. The amount of work the slaves accomplished and the hardships they endured should be respected and recognized as an important contribution to the growth of our country.
Analysis: There are four main ideas about how slavery and indentured servitude helped grow America. Indentured servitude was the first source of labor, and set the path in the development of unpaid labor. Then the first slaves came to Jamestown in 1619 marking the beginning of slavery in America. With slavery came controversy and anger. Pennsylvania was the main source of objection towards slavery. They presented a document to abolish slavery in the first session of the twenty-eighth congress.
Laws were also passed in Pennsylvania regarding slavery, but they were abolished in 1712. Slavery grew throughout the colonies, but with this growth came misbehavior and a crackdown on rules. Slaves and indentured servitude helped grow the colonies in an unbelievable way. Though there was controversy over this issue, it helped grow America into what it is today. Slaves and indentured servants grew this country into what it is today. Even though the concept of slavery was questionable, it helped grow America into a world superpower.
Slavery and indentured servitude set a path for the New Colonies of America by creating a large workforce and helping to grow the economy of The American Colonies. Though slavery and indentured servitude created a lot of controversy and hardships, it helped America become what it is today.
