America, “the land of the free/ land of equality”, where from every morning side freedom rings. America is not as free and equal as it is portrayed to be. America is the land of the slaves and indentured servants. People have dreams of coming to America because it is supposedly a free and equal land and a land of opportunity but, once they arrive they see that it is the total opposite. During the 1600s, a servant labor system began. As a way to get to America, immigrants would sale themselves to ship captains to work for an employer. In order to gain freedom, the immigrants would have to work a certain number of years, usually 4 to 7, to gain freedom rights and land from their owners. The indentured servants had a horrible living. They were
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During the 1700-1770s, slavery began to occur. Slavery was the most striking contribution and defining characteristics of the southern colonies. Slave population grew from natural increase and Atlantic slave trade ships. The slave trade ships brought over 300,000 slaves. Slaves did not choose to come over into the British colonies, they were forced. Slaves were either born into a free family, kidnapped, sold by other Africans, or captured in war. The slaves who were sold by other Africans were brought over through the “middle passage”. About 15%, sometimes more, died on these voyages due to diseases. They suffered from small pox, dysentery, dehydration, etc. When they came into the colonies they had to adjust to the physical and cultural environment, which was difficult for the ones that endured the Middle Passage. Slaves were expected to work from sun up to sun down. If slaves opposed this labor it resulted in physical punishment. In 1739, a group of about 20 slaves rebelled attacking a shop, stealing guns and ammo, burning down half dozen of plantations, and killing off about 20 whites. This resulted in their heads being placed atop of mileposts and a slave code being enacted in 1740. Slave codes were a series of laws that were placed in order to restrict slaves’ behaviors. The slave codes took away a lot of freedom from the slaves that they merely had to begin with. Slave codes restricted things such as a right to bear arms and only being allowed to testify against other Negroes in court (Chronicles of Black Protest. Pgs 36-41). Overall, life was not free and equal in America. 66% of its population came as unfree people, indentured servants an African slaves. The saying “Land of the free/ land of equality” therefore serves to be as
During the 1700-1770s, slavery began to occur. Slavery was the most striking contribution and defining characteristics of the southern colonies. Slave population grew from natural increase and Atlantic slave trade ships. The slave trade ships brought over 300,000 slaves. Slaves did not choose to come over into the British colonies, they were forced. Slaves were either born into a free family, kidnapped, sold by other Africans, or captured in war. The slaves who were sold by other Africans were brought over through the “middle passage”. About 15%, sometimes more, died on these voyages due to diseases. They suffered from small pox, dysentery, dehydration, etc. When they came into the colonies they had to adjust to the physical and cultural environment, which was difficult for the ones that endured the Middle Passage. Slaves were expected to work from sun up to sun down. If slaves opposed this labor it resulted in physical punishment. In 1739, a group of about 20 slaves rebelled attacking a shop, stealing guns and ammo, burning down half dozen of plantations, and killing off about 20 whites. This resulted in their heads being placed atop of mileposts and a slave code being enacted in 1740. Slave codes were a series of laws that were placed in order to restrict slaves’ behaviors. The slave codes took away a lot of freedom from the slaves that they merely had to begin with. Slave codes restricted things such as a right to bear arms and only being allowed to testify against other Negroes in court (Chronicles of Black Protest. Pgs 36-41). Overall, life was not free and equal in America. 66% of its population came as unfree people, indentured servants an African slaves. The saying “Land of the free/ land of equality” therefore serves to be as