Custom «African Slavery » Essay Paper Sample

An indentured servant may simply be defined as a manual worker. He or she was employed by a particular employer for a certain timeframe. The indenture could henceforth be rewarded with food, transportation and more. Scores of asylum seekers landed in colonial USA as manual workers. Upon arrival, their masters had to pay for their transport that is from their native land mainly United Kingdom and Germany to colonial America. Most of these immigrants included young adults. Specifically, their terms of employment were bargained by their parents. Basically, 3 categories of indentured servants existed during colonial America. The first category was referred to as the free-williers. As much as this category is concerned, it comprised of immigrants who were compelled to depart from their motherland to colonial America owing to extreme poverty. Additionally, it comprised of prisoners and persons abducted for pious reasons. The second category comprised of those indentured servants who were brought into colonial America by the colonial masters. The colonial masters were compelled to bring them into colonial America since there was an acute labor shortage at that particular time. The last category consisted of prisoners who were convicted to extradition. Upon arrival in colonial America, they were indentured.

In colonial America, Slavery was very rampant. Scores of Africans were detained as indentured servants. It is important to note that several disparities existed between slaves and indentured servants. As much as slavery is concerned, it was involuntary. Moreover, it was inherited. On the other hand, indentured servants made treaties. These treaties were usually made as a substitute of employment for entry into colonial America. The indentured servants worked for a certain period of time (usually 7 years). Subsequent to the expiry of this period of time, he or she obtained "freedom dues". These dues included clothing and land. On the other hand, several slaves were liberated for a short period of time. Nonetheless, quite a number of them served as slaves for life. At the beginning of the eighteenth (18^th) century, an amendment of the colonial laws occurred. They were merged into slave codes. These changes offered both continuous and hereditary servitude for Africans. At that particular time, Africans were regarded as assets. Thus, they could either be purchased or sold. Several similarities existed between slaves and indentured servants. First, they shared identical grievances. Second, both the slaves and indentured servants regularly formed coalitions. The colonial newspapers were mostly packed with ads concerning slaves and indentured servants. Specifically, the ads sought for their transportation to their motherland (The American Revolution, 2004).