Before slavery, the English colonies in America had indentured servants as the primary source of labor to their master. African Americans were free once they completed the amount of years of labor for their contract. Most of the indentured servants were also promised “freedom dues” which consist of supplies and necessities that a free man needed to make their own farm, including African Americans. However there were many problems that arose when the servants became free and had their own land. First, when indentured servants finally complete their contract and receive land, they then become a threat to many other land owners because they create more competition among themselves. Secondly, because of the tensions of competition between their master and the freed indentured servant, many masters paid their “freedom dues” to freed indentured servants in land that was not very good. Then finally in the year of 1676 “working class men burned down Jamestown, making indentured servitude look even less attractive to Virginia leaders. Also, servants moved on, forcing a need for costly replacements”
(http://www.pbs.org/). In conclusion, the use of a indentured servant system seems to fail and cause more problems toward the colonies rather than be beneficial. Anthony Johnson, who was a indenture servant and later on became a freed man after he met with the terms of his contract. Anthony Johnson then had then indentured servants of his own; however three of his indentured servants had attempted to escape. These three indentured servants were caught and brought back to Anthony in whom two of his indentured servants had their contracts increased in years of labor. The other indentured servant who tried to escape was not so lucky and was punished his whole life to serve for labor. He/She was no longer an indentured servant but rather a slave. Years later, Anthony moved out to Maryland and before he left he leased land. However after he died, the property was no longer Anthony’s but now the governments. Back at the home front, England in 1672 had their eyes on the Royal African Company. So England then finally encouraged the use of slaves . “ Over the first 50 years of the 18th century, the number of Africans brought to British colonies on British ships rose from 5,000 to 45,000 a year” (http://www.pbs.org/).
Depending on the situation I am currently on in England would allow me to decide whether I would enter the colonies as an indentured servant. For example, if I was wealthy in England, I would not take the chance to go to the colonies because I am living life to the maximum. There is no need to
