Unfree labor, Captivity, and the Development of Slavery
Unfree labor, Captivity, and the Development of slavery in North AmericaThe economic systems and social structures of the European colonial societies in North America in the 1500s and 1600s were largely based on variations of "unfree" labor. Indentured servants, African slaves, and Native American captives were the backbone of a growing, developing economy that was based on agriculture and trade. Indentured servants and African slaves were necessary to the English because they increased profits and farmed very labor intensive and land intensive crops. By the 1700's, slavery of African Americans became the primary source of "unfree" labor that was totally different than indentured servitude. Slaves were forcibly imported from Africa and expected to serve for an entire lifetime without any chance of freedom. As economic, cultural, and religious tensions grew between the English and Native Americans, captive-taking became a common tactic in times of war. Captives were kidnapped and held by force to weaken the other side and to gain retribution for other war crimes.(Lepore,p135) The English justified the taking of Native American captives because they were thought of as barbarous, uncivilized people who committed atrociti
English took these captives to replace fallen soldiers, to adopt new members into their communities, and to diminish the Indian populations who were fighting against them. White indentured servants also expected payment for their work, while slaves who were forceabley imported don't need to be paid. Most white Americans accepted these common assumptions about racial inequality and maintained the distinctions in their minds. Bacon turned his army against Jamestown and burned most of the city. " Indians killed women and children, burned homes, land, and property, mutilated English livestock, and tortured English captives. (Lepore, p96) (6)To Native Americans, the practice of taking captives was very traditional and ritualistic. The English thought the Indians were culturally and spiritually deprived, just because their traditions and ways of life were different than anything the English had seen before. (Brinkley, p66) Plantations required strong laborers, but white indentured servants weren't willing to work under such conditions. Slave buyers shifted from buying whites to buying black primarily because they blamed the indentured servants for the rebellion and for causing trouble in Virginia and the Chesapeake. "It is difficult to imagine a scene that could do more to assault English notions of order. (Lepore, p13)The Native American practice of taking English captives also served many common purposes as the English capture of Indians. Ransom was paid in cash and other goods, including wampum, which was Native American beadwork that was used as money in their societies. Virginia became increasingly crowded, which caused many political disagreements. a landscape of ashes, of farms laid waste, of corpses without heads. " (Horgar notes)Labor in the colonial societies changed from the dominance of indentured servants, to almost all African American slaves.
Common topics in this essay:
Native Americans,
North America,
African Americans,
African American,
Native American,
Phillip's War,
Africa Brinkley,
Americans English,
English Lepore,
Indians Indian,
indentured servants,
native americans,
unfree labor,
native american,
white indentured,
english captives,
native american captives,
american captives,
indentured servants african,
colonial societies,
women children,
english native americans,
servants african,
white indentured servants,
source unfree labor,
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