Indentured Servitude vs. Slavery in the Virginia Colony

Why would someone become an indentured servant in Jamestown?

• They could not pay for their own passage to the New World

• Their life was a good one in England

• They were talented farmers

• They lost a war to Spain

Which of the following is true of indentured servants? Choose all correct answers.

• They were the same as slaves

• They had a contract for 4-7 years or so

• After their contract, they could work for pay

• 3/4 of Virginia landowners in the mid-1600s were former indentured servants.

True or False: Life in England improved. This led to a decrease in the number of people who were willing to become indentured servants.

• True

• False

How were African slaves treated by English colonists at first?

• Similar to indentured servants

• harsher than at anytime in history

• they were not allowed to help in the farm fields

• they were sold to Native American groups

Why did slavery eventually grow in the Virginia Colony? Choose all correct answers

• Planters had more money gained from growing tobacco

• Indentured servitude was on the decline

• The colony started growing cotton in the 1600s

• The price of slaves decreased