Briana Cruz
HIS/110
June 21, 2015
James Halm

The Differences between Indentured Servants and Slaves Whether someone was an indentured servant or a slave does not matter because one is not better than the other, but there are differences between the two. An indentured servant was a person who came to America and was placed under contract to work for another over a period of time, in exchange for food, clothing, shelter, or transportation, especially during the 17th century. A slave was someone’s personal property. The difference between indentured servants and slaves has never really been addressed but it’s important that we know the difference between the two, to better understand history. Indentured servants first arrived in America in 1607 following the settlement of Jamestown by the Virginia Company. The idea for indentured servants was born because there was a need for cheap labor. The earliest settlers realized that they had lots of land to care for, but no one to care for it. Indentured servants became an important part of colonial America. Indentured servants had to complete hard years of work but after the specified period of time they would be granted freedom. Most of the indentured servants were young (under the age of 21) and worked on farms doing the majority of the manual work. Others did things in the home such as complete domestic services. The jobs that the servants did do, they did not get paid for but they did receive certain amenities for their services. Once a servant completed their obligation, the agreement was then terminated and the servant could once again have the chance for a more liberal life. But while the servants were working and completing services for a specific person they were never treated like property or abused. Someday indentured servants could be free members of society but that could never happen for slaves.