Eric Clark clark6267@mail.phillyu.edu History 321
Professor: John Klett
Philadelphia University
Runaway Slaves and Servants
The labor of indentured servants and, to a much smaller degree, enslaved Africans made the tobacco economy of early Virginia possible. Servants signed contracts, or indentures, binding them to work for a number of years. In return received passage to Virginia In addition, their master provided them with food, clothing, and lodging. Although in some cases Africans worked as servants, many more were enslaved, purchased through the Spanish and Portuguese. Virginia Natives Americans were enslaved as well. The ads only describe Europeans and Africans. The Native American was called Negro.
At first, the lives of slaves and servants were similar. They were owned by masters and they worked shoulder to shoulder in the tobacco fields sometimes alongside their masters and their master’s wives. Masters often used the court to discipline their servants. The English common law, though only sparingly enforced, was meant to protect servants and slaves from mistreatment.
Still, black, whites and natives sought relief from their often grueling labor and difficult work conditions by running away, sometimes together. In July 1640 appeared before the colony judges. The decision dated July 9 describes three servants belonging to Hugh Gwyn who ran away to Maryland and were capture there. “Dutchman” and a “Scotchman,” were each sentence to be whipped, and four years were added to their indentures. The other servant, an “African” was punished differently. Rather than take on additional years, he was made a slave for life. Scholars have argued that this decision represented the first legal distinction between Europeans and Africans to be made by Virginia courts. (Costa 13)
Differences between African Slave Life and European Indentured Servant Life the lives of African slaves and the lives of European indentured servants were very different. African slaves were treated them like animals. Although the European indentured servants were also treated badly, they were fellow Europeans and were not treated as bad. Indentured servants were freed after their period of duty and were paid to do their work. They were not captured to be indentured servants they were often lured. Slaves were taken by force and slavery went on