One advantage of having indentured servants for plantation owners was that they could increase their profit margin. The plantation owners had very cheap labor.
One advantage of having indentured servants for plantation owners was that they could increase their profit margin. The plantation owners had very cheap labor.
because indentured servants were on a contract and got payed and slaves they got to keep forever. plus they saved more money cause they didnt pay slaves.
She endured years of servitude before finally gaining her freedom.
Slaves cost much less: to buy and to care for than indentured servants.
they coulld use slaves longer
The children of slave woman were slaves who didn't have to be purchased.
By denying them privileges granted to indentured servants
The children of female slaves didn't need to be bought.
Plantation owners preferred using slaves over indentured servants because slaves were perceived as a lifetime investment, as they were considered property that could be bought and sold. Slaves were also viewed as a more long-term and reliable labor force, as they had fewer legal rights and were enslaved for life, unlike indentured servants who would be freed after a set period of time. Slaves were also often seen as easier to control and exploit due to their lack of legal protections.
Convict labor could be rented by plantation and business owners.
Plantation owners preferred slaves over indentured servants because slaves were seen as a long-term and inheritable source of labor, providing more stability and control over their workforce. Additionally, slaves did not have the legal protections and rights that indentured servants possessed, making them easier to exploit and control. Finally, the racial hierarchy and beliefs of the time perpetuated the notion that Africans and their descendants were inferior and thus suitable for enslavement.
The most important social distinction in the seventeenth century Chesapeake colony was between the wealthy elite plantation owners and the indentured servants and enslaved laborers. The plantation owners had immense wealth and power, while the indentured servants and enslaved laborers were largely dependent on them for work and survival. This distinction shaped the economic and social structure of the colony, with the plantation owners dominating both politically and economically.