Abstract In this article, the writer explores the indenturedservitude of Indians in terms of both its successful incorporation as part of the colonial system of domination and oppression, as well as in terms of how opposition and resistance to this system influenced political and social development in the region. The writer argues that with reference to both earlier and later periods of indenturedservitude on different Caribbean sites, an accurate history of indenturedservitude requires such a balanced analysis to understand fully its complexity and significance in terms of regional history.
Outline:
Introduction
IndenturedServitude as Subservience to Colonialism
IndenturedServitude and Resistance
Conclusion
From the Paper "Indeed, to understand differences in resistance across the region - from island to island - we must acknowledge the extraordinary levels of control of the plantation and civil authorities over the movement and actions of the indentured Indians. For example, while discontent and resistance was widespread in British Guiana, on the neighbouring island of Trinidad - with the second largest colony of indentured Indians in the Caribbean region - there was minimal resistance. The differences between the two situations cannot be explained with reference to caste or class/education of the Indians, as both came from the same pool of migrants. Instead, it is theorized while the appalling labour conditions in the islands represented a tinderbox that would be lit at any moment, different approaches to dealing with potential discontent on the part of the authorities was a critical factor in explaining differences between islands."
Abstract This paper discusses the history of redemptioners and indentured servants in the US. The paper looks at the various methods used to entice immigrants to colonial America and how the immigrants were treated once they arrived in American and during their passage. The paper notes that indenturedservitude, while not exactly the same, was very similar to slavery and that conditions under which the white servant and the black slave labored were practically identical, except for the greater possibility of freedom for white indentured servants. The paper concludes that no servitude is just, especially in a country that is founded on democracy and the notion that "all men are to be created equal."
From the Paper "In 1901, Karl Frederick Geiser wrote the book Redemptioners and Indentured Servants of Pennsylvania, to "in the hope of throwing some new light upon an important phase of our Colonial history upon which comparatively little has been written." One hundred years later, Geiser could easily publish his book again, since most people in the United States do not know about servitude during early America except for the African slaves. Terms such as redemptioners, embarkation, debarkation, and even indentured servants are not detailed often, yet this was--for good or bad--a major aspect of Colonial history."
Abstract The paper analyzes the stories of both those under the wrath of servitude, and those who inflicted it upon others, and discusses larger issues at play in the colony as a result of this practice. The paper sets out to prove that indenturedservitude began merely as a mode of cheap labor in Jamestown for those exploiting the riches of the land in the New World. The paper then shows how, slowly and systematically, slavery became a cultural institution that both shaped the way in which business was conducted in the colony, and the way in which those in England decided to either migrate to the New World or remain in the homeland. The paper explores what lessons the Jamestown colony teaches us in contemporary society.
From the Paper "While lower classes and others who were adversely affected by the economy of England were somewhat forced into servitude, there were others who went to Jamestown willingly to make fortunes, and quickly realized the reality of the circumstance in the early colony. This scenario, while rarer than the usual servitude scenario served to further the advances in the Jamestown colony. The skilled apprentices that made their decision to try and make it in the colony may have been subjected to servitude, but in effect, brought their skills to the economy of Jamestown, and while they may have toiled under the wrath of forced labor, contributed to the development of the cultural institutions of Jamestown."
Abstract This paper discusses the way the slave era and the era of indentured servants affected and still affects family life in the Caribbean, noting that many of the people in the region are the descendants of people who were brought to this region as slaves or as indentured servants. The paper suggests that it was a somewhat more benign form of slavery, though with many of the same characteristics and long-term effects.
From the Paper "The institution of slavery in different parts of the world had a major impact on those regions and on the population, both those who were slaves and those who were not. Such effects may continue long after the end of slavery. In the Caribbean region, many people are the descendants of people who were brought to this region as slaves or as indentured servants (a somewhat more benign form of slavery, though with many of the same characteristics and long-term effects). The centrality of family in the Caribbean has been noted if not fully understood by many scholars, and the long-term consequences may also not be understood fully."
Abstract This paper discusses the passing of specific laws in the colonies of the New World where the first plan was to provide cheap labor in the form of indentured servants and local natives instead of slaves. The author discusses how it was this shift to indenturedservitude which gave rise to slavery for the Negroes in the New World.
From the Paper "However, the British did not begin with a conscious plan to colonize the New World, establish plantations and garner great wealth by enslaving Africans. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, British and other European societies were suspicious of people of other races and believed themselves superior to other races. This facilitated the domination of New World lands, which were all populated by indigenous people of darker and presumed inferior races. Nevertheless, the enslavement of darker-skinned people such as Africans wasn"t a formal plan at first, at least partly because they did not welcome being in proximity with people of other races. By the time the American Revolutionary war had begun, the American colonists owned more slaves than any other European colony, and English traders transported more slaves to market than any other country. (Bernhard , 1999)?
Abstract This paper examines the institution, practice and effects of slavery in the United States. The paper begins with a thorough explanation of how slavery began and its roots in indenturedservitude. Then the paper traces the process of the slave trade, with exacting detail about the conditions and treatment slaves faced on their voyage from Africa. The paper also discusses the buying and selling of slaves once they arrived in America and the varying treatment they received from their masters. Also explored is the labor they performed and conditions in which they lived and worked. Next, the paper examines the impact of slavery on the psyche of slaves, as individuals, families and communities. The paper concludes with a discussion of the Civil War and the ultimate dissolution of the institution of slavery by President Lincoln.
From the Paper "The beginning of slavery in the New World has some surprising origins. Slaves actually began as "indentured servants" in Jamestown, Virginia in 1619. (Volume Library) In return for an employee paying for their trip to the New World, a person agreed to work off the debt as the employee's servant. They were contracted to work for a period of time. Once they had fulfilled their contractual obligations, they were considered free. Many even obtained their own land and began to contract their own indentured servants. Indentured servants were both Blacks from Africa and Whites from Europe. From 1619 until 1640, these workers earned their freedom. (Journey From Slavery to Freedom) Black servants, white servants, and their employers often worked side by side in the fields. Historians agree that the early colonists did not at first intend to create a system of human bondage. (American History)"
Tags:indentured, servants, master, civil, war, lincoln, africa
This paper discusses the original forms slavery and servitude in the U.S. and how they led to the eventual segregation and racial discrimination of blacks.
Abstract The paper discusses the evolution of the indentured servant, as well as the means through which servitude was transformed into slavery, in order to highlight the general differences that appeared between black and white servants. The paper shows how, in the beginning, there was no difference between the whites and the blacks that were engaged in in indentured work. The paper then explains why slave trading became widely accepted and why black slaves were preferred over white ones.
The paper highlights how it was merely external forces that instilled the idea of racial discrimination, of racial inferiority and of the exploitation of human beings for more than two centuries.
From the Paper "The issue of slavery and servitude represented an important moment in the history of the United States. It also marked the direction the history of civil rights would eventually follow in the 20th century. There were different methods of servitude. Aside from the traditional means of slavery which included forced labor, indentured labor was a special category of labor which was considered, from a moral point of view to be superior to actual slavery. The evolution of the indentured service as well as the means through which servitude was transformed in slavery are important for pointing out the general differences that appeared between the black and the white servants."
Abstract This paper explores the relatively unstudied origins of the indentured servant trade. It claims that the institution of indenture was based on a combination of traditional English institutions; apprenticeship, farm labourers and domestic servants. This is proven by examining the social standing of each group, the terms of contracts in each profession, the tasks they performed and the social mobility they could expect upon finishing their term, in relation to indentured servants. The period before the large influx of African slaves is of particular interest in this study, since the dynamic of the servant trade was altered radically by the arrival of a cheaper labour force.
From the Paper "Opportunities that existed in the colonies were often closed to the poorer classes in England. Even for apprentices there were only four ways they could become established as a master; by marrying either the daughter or widow of their master, through inheritance, by purchasing a practice or by setting up their own. The latter options required a large initial investment, and the former circumstances were rare since a son of the master usually took over the practice. This left most tradesmen little better off than the common labourer . Servants in agriculture had even fewer prospects open to them in England; in order to marry and start their own household they would have to save the majority of their wages for about ten years, and then finding a small farm was difficult since they were much in demand and vacancies were very low."
Abstract This paper explains that racism can exist and foster an environment and an attitude that sanction an institution like slavery. However, slavery itself can and has brought out the worst in people, including undiscovered feelings of supremacy over another race. It discusses how slavery has engrained in people's minds the thought that since such a practice is allowable and even easy to maintain, it must be right. The paper concludes that this concept may imply a new idea that slavery encourages racism, in as much as racism establishes slavery.
From the Paper "In investigating this concept, we turn towards the past United States enslavement of black people. This particular institution of slavery seems to be aligned perfectly with and idea of dual causality. Its establishment was based in economic possibilities, and was fostered by a division among races. The first element mentioned finds its roots in the Renaissance and Commercial Revolution of Europe. With the rise of towns, the increased centrality of interests in commercial activities, the focus on capital strength, and the fall of feudalism, Europe reinvented its societies to become much more competitive, and focus its attention on individual's prosperity. From England specifically, came the already established aristocrats who ventured to the open land of America to expand their wealth. To do so required a cultivation of the land. Agriculture was the main venue towards wealth, however the already wealthy were not going to perform their own labor. As such, people of lower social statuses searching for greater prosperity, who ventured to the open America, found an opportunity to prosper, by becoming an indentured servant to the wealthy landowner. These servants, who were primarily young white men, would work for a sustained period and at the end of their required servitude, they would be granted land of their own."
This paper analyzes the issue of slavery by focusing on the perspectives of a black slave woman, Harriet Jacobs and a white male preacher, Peter Cartwright.
Abstract This paper examines the differences in gender, race and social roles in 19th century American society that created the differing viewpoints of both Jacobs and Cartwright in opposing black slavery. In Jacob's autobiography, "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl," the author delves into her own personal account of what slavery had been for black women like her. Cartwright's "Autobiography of Peter Cartwright, Backwoods Preacher" illustrates his own perception of slavery through the eyes of a white American male. The writer contends and explains that while both authors were vehemently opposed to slavery, the two had very different opinions as to why slavery should be abolished. For Jacobs, slavery was a detriment to her life because she experienced sexual vulnerability and abuse whereas Cartwright considered the practice wrong due to the moral degeneration that occurred with the proliferation of adultery and unexpected pregnancies among black women slaves by their white masters.
From the Paper "This paper posits that Jacobs and Cartwright's narratives about their opposition and experiences of black slavery reflect that despite their agreement on the detriments of this practice, both have different opinions about the 'wrongness' of black slavery. That is, for Jacobs, black slavery was a detriment to her life because she experienced sexual vulnerability and abuse, while Cartwright considered the practice immoral because of the moral degeneration that occurred with the proliferation of adultery and unexpected pregnancies among black women slaves by white American males. In "Incidents," Jacobs narrated her account of slavery based on her experience as a slave of a family in South Carolina."
Tags:slavery, literature, perception, american, history
Abstract This paper shows how the study of the economics surrounding slavery can give a better understanding of the issues surrounding both slavery and the Civil War. Topics covered include the origins of slavery, opposing views on slavery, the and the economic effectiveness of slavery.
From the Paper "Slavery and the civil war are very complex economic and historical issues. Many prominent Economic Historians view the institution of slavery vastly different from one another. With the difference in views also comes opposing opinions on whether or not the Civil War was actually needed to end the practice of slavery. While it is impossible to truly know what would have happened had events been different surrounding the American Civil War, it is possible to learn about the differences in opinions. Examining the origins of slavery, the opposing views of slavery, and the economics of the civil war can lend a clearer picture of this time frame"
Tags:slavery, Civil, War, south, economics, emancipation, abolition, profit
Abstract The premise of the paper is that slavery was not caused perpetuated by racism. The paper examines the debates by historians and sociologists that slavery encourages racism, and racism establishes slavery.
The historical evolution of slavery is analyzed in order to establish that this idea of mutual supporting systems of racism and slavery is not correct.
From the Paper "For many years, historians and sociologists have debated the relationship between racism and slavery. Some contend that slavery caused and perpetuated racism, while others argue that racism caused and perpetuated slavery. Examining the historical evidence indicates that in colonial and pre-Civil War America, racism was both a cause and consequence of slavery. Ultimately, institutionalized slavery and institutionalized racism co-existed as mutually supporting systems, based upon prevailing social and cultural assumptions that blacks were an inferior race. In order to resolve this issue, it is necessary to examine and evaluate slavery's historical development, for doing so provides evidence that in many societies, slavery has not been caused or perpetuated by racism."
Abstract This essay discusses how slavery developed and what kind of culture grew out of the institution. The paper then discusses how slavery was abolished and how and why the North succeeded in emancipating the slaves.
This paper addresses the contradiction of slavery and egalitarian politics in colonial America, particularly the arguments surrounding the Virginian economy.
900 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 1 source, 2002, $ 35.95
Abstract This paper addresses the contradiction of slavery and egalitarian politics in colonial America, particularly the arguments surrounding the Virginian economy. These arguments are put forth in Edmund Morgan's classic text on the subject: American Slavery, American Freedom. The essay answers the question: what are Morgan's views on the contradiction stated above? It concludes that historical remove from the events lends us much more perspective on the issue than the slave-owning Founding Fathers.
Tags: AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES / SLAVERY, COLONIALISM, virginia shift slavery
This well-researched paper examines the highly debated topic of reparations for slavery. With the debate still on the table about reparations, many feel that compensation goes far beyond a dollar amount.
Abstract This paper analyzes the issue of reparations for slavery. While this topic has received very little media attention in the public eye, the majority of reparation activists passionately believe that their cause will help heal racial tensions. On certain college campuses many have turned the debate for slavery reparations into a debate about free speech. The writer of this paper supplies an overview into how the African-American slaves were mistreated and why the issue of what and how much reparation is due is still such a sensitive and controversial topic. Along with countless hours in the field, there was very little regard on behalf of slave owners to the families of their slaves. Blacks were regularly separated from their family and sold to different families, for the simple profit of their owners. After the construction of the law that manipulated the offspring of any African to follow the condition of their mother, slaves could then be bred for free and sold for nothing but profit. If a slave owner happened to purchase a female, the act of breeding slaves was the cheapest and most cost effective means of increasing profit. The writer contends that this legalized discrimination has trickled down all the way through the generations and still exists today. Many people have come to the conclusion that African-Americans deserve monetary compensation as sufficient reparations for slavery. With the debate still on the table about reparations, many feel that reparations go far passed a dollar amount.
From the Paper "The Trans-Atlantic slave trade later became profitable for the government as a means of accruing taxes. This initiative was intended to slow the traffic of slave ships from the West Coast of Africa. The taxes were only effective for the trans-Atlantic slave trade, however, there were no taxes on domestic slave trading. In response to this, slave owners made an effort for another means of avoiding taxes. In many cases where female slaves did not marry, they were often subjected to the will, or desire of their masters. In some instances, female slaves would adhere to the sexual advances of their masters in order to receive less harsh treatment, those who did not adhere were raped -- this happened more often than not. With the introduction of mulatto children, (children born to female slaves impregnated by white masters) the domestic slave trade found new life, with a transfusion of these children which could be separated from their families, and sold without having to pay taxes."
