Slavery and Servants in 1800s Pennsylvania

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By the 18th century, Pennsylvania was becoming home for American Development. Many people that were drawn to Pennsylvania were servants whether, for sometimes 4 years or however long, it took to pay off debt for their travel across the Atlantic. If they weren’t servant, they were slaves who almost had no chance of freedom. Servants had a chance to become free after paying off their debts with work, but not the same for slaves. A welsh yeoman farmer, Gabriel Thomas, who spent 15 years in Pennsylvania before adventuring to England. He came to the conclusion, the wages for the poor people was 3 times the wage in England. Therefore, he moved back hired a Black-Smith, which he would pay 50 shillings in one day got making up 100 pounds of iron. He hired many more people such as a carpenter, shoe-maker, and sawyers. (Thomas) The first settlers of the land needed to hire a great number of English settlers and Negro slaves from Africa. The settlers would be the wealthiest farmers because they weren’t paying rent, nor giving pay to the Servants and Negro slaves. (Moraley) The chiefs would question why they were not making as much as the servants. (Thomas) The wages each worker would receive would determine their social class. When the ships docked in Philadelphia, no one who had not paid was allowed to leave. If they couldn’t pay their due than they were to remain aboard until they were purchased by the wealthy. Once purchased they are released to their purchaser and allowed off the ship. If a person is between the ages 10-15 years than they are permitted to serve until they are at least 21 years old. Parents would sell their children as servants to pay off their debt. If both parents die while, on the ship, the children must pay the debt. If one spouse dies the other living spouse has to pay the deceased spouse debt. If someone were to run away for a day, that person would be punished for a week, for a week away they were punished a month, for a month they were punished a half of the year. If the master decided not to keep the runaway, he may sell him to another master for so many years. (Mittelberger) Negros did not have laws to protect them. The Negros could have the severest punishments, such as the master forcing them to marry.

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