I know about it, but I don't see that it lets anyone off the hook for the slave trade in this country. How does it? It's okay to buy slaves because someone else in a foreign country had already enslaved them? Alrighty, then. Great argument.
My Dear, I think you misunderstand his point.
Okay. I see what you're up to. Dishonestly change "indentured servitude" to "slavery" to erroneously "prove" that being a "slave" doesn't make your descendants dysfunctional criminals, as some of you believe is the argument.
You're all ignorant as hell about slavery, or you wouldn't be comparing the two. What actually causes generational dysfunction happens to any group of humans who are stripped of their culture, traditions, belief systems, language and country, deprived of the right to have even a family safe from violation, and being totally powerless, generation after generation.
It is obviously making you racists feel a whole lot better though. OP tricked me with this one, but you brought it back to what was intended. See ya.
No, my Dear you are the one displaying ignorance/coinfusion.....in the real world things often are not what they are made up to be. Such is the case with so called Indentured Servitude.
Indentured Servitude was in reality just a cover for another form of slavery...there was supposedly a contract that guranteed the servant/slave some rights...however unfortunately in many if not most cases...these contracts were not enforced. There was no one to enforce them.
The servant/slave had no one to protect them or look out for them...the master was all powerful as all slave owners were......their servants/slaves were in reality at their complete mercy.
Luckily for some --they were bought by good masters who did not work them to death and let them go after they served the specified time....unfortunately most of them died before their supposed release date came up.
One half to two-thirds of all immigrants to Colonial America arrived as indentured servants. At times, as many as 75% of the population of some colonies were under the terms of indenture! Children were also indentured servants from the family they traveled with. The conditions of these indentured families were very harsh. The voyage overseas to this new land was filled with misery, stench, fumes, horror, vomit and stomach problems, sea sickness, fever, dysentery, heat and mouth-rot. Most problems arose from the old and sharply salted meat they were given to eat along with the foul drinking water. Most died before even seeing their new country. Once they reached this new land, conditions were not that much better. Winters were harsh and summers were extremely hot. Instead of working in their accustomed trade, most were forced to work the field under horrible conditions. Their living quarters were small with only the essentials to live on. Food was always scarce. Many of the men were abused and taken advantage of. If they did not perform their duties to their master's wish, their contract time/fee was extended to longer times/fines. Many men would escape for their freedom. The Virginia Colony courts realize their servants were escaping. They came up with a system using Identification Cards for documenting these servants and required these ID cards for travel. This made it more difficult for escape as his master would keep his ID card. It also made the indentured servant more like property, so they were traded or sold using this card system. Gradually, as time went by, the typical indentured servant became scarce. They served their term, bought their freedom or escaped. The farmers had to find a way to ease their labor shortage. Eventually, the final attempt to ease labor shortages was enslavement of Africans. Wherever you find slavery, you first find indentured servants.