What was the difference between enslaved Africans and indentured servants?

Question

Social Studies

Kyle Wyatt

28 January, 12:28

What was the difference between enslaved Africans and indentured servants?

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Answers (2)

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Elliott Parrish · Answer 1

Servants agreed to work in exchange for things but slaves were forced to work against their will

Sammy Webster · Answer 2

Slaves were property that was bought and sold like a house or a car. Even their kids and spouses were at times included in the package. In addition, slaves were even matched with other slaves if the master thought they could breed them to make more slaves (their offspring). There was absolute and complete control over slaves. Slaves had no rights. If they were beaten, raped by the master, impregnated by the master, sold or traded, it was all allowed and this behavior was encouraged, sadly.

An indentured servant however, was not property. It was a person under contract to work for another person for a definite period a time: a year, three years for example, without pay. But, in exchange for the free labor, they were allowed free passage to a new country. During the 17th century, most of the White laborers in Maryland and Virginia came from England as "indentured servants".