Indentured Servitude and Slavery in the New World

During the 1600’s people began to look for different types of work in the new world. As cash crops, such as tobacco, indigo, and rice, were growing in the South, there became a need for labor. This got the attention of convicts, debtors, and other people looking for new opportunities and money. Indentured servitude was vastly growing during the 17th and 18th centuries. Approximatively 10 million men, women, and children were moved to the new world. Women during this time found themselves being sold to men for these cash crops. A commonly used term during this time for these women was tobacco brides. Almost 7.7 million of the slaves captured and moved to the new world were African Americans. Slaves and indentured servants had it rough for

Equiano was the youngest of his brothers who enjoyed playing outside throwing javelins enjoying the normal life of a small child. At the beginning of the day, the elders would leave their children at home while they went out into the fields to work. While they were gone, some of the children would get together to play but always took precautions of potential kidnappers. Even with all these precautions, people were still seized from their homes and taken away. Equiano was home one day with his little sister tending to the everyday household needs when out of nowhere they were captured by a couple men who had gotten over the walls. They had no time to resist or scream for help before they found themselves bound, gagged, and being taken away. Equiano had no idea where these people were taking him and they didn’t stop once until nightfall where they stayed until dawn. He tells us about how they traveled for many days and nights not having any clue where they were going or when they would get there. Slaves traveled by land and by sea, but Equiano’s journey was by sea. He tells us how he was carried aboard and immediately chained to other African Americans that were already on the ship. Once the ship halted on land, Equiano along with many other slaves were sent to the merchant’s yard where they would be herded together and bought by the

In Complaint of an Indentured Servant, Sprig writes a letter to her father back home telling him about the poor living conditions and treatment she was receiving. Elizabeth Sprig, however, didn’t have a strong relationship with her father during this time, it was actually far from that. She begins by asking her father for forgiveness because she feels like she might never leave from the torment. She tells him that the treatment she and the other English indentured servant suffer is beyond the comprehension of those back in England. Sprig begins to talk about how little they had to eat and how little they had to wear. She tells her father about the scarce amount of Indian corn and salt for their meals, and how they were almost naked because of the lack of clothes they received. The indentured servant had no shoes, nor stockings to wear and also no place to sleep. They were lucky to get offered a blanket to wrap up in on the ground. If they did something against owners, they were tied up and beaten as if they were animals. Elizabeth Sprig begs for some compassion from her father by asking him to simply sending her some clothes and a letter back. She even goes as far as telling him how to send these items over by ships. This was the treatment that almost every woman received when arriving in the new world. Women who found