Previously, colonists tended to gain access to Americans through the head-straight system. At that time, indentured servitude was commonly confused with slavery, but this was far from the case as it was simply a contract between the servants and the employer. Although, shortly afterward, when the settlers began to break their promises of land and money to indentured servants, this action resulted in the outbreak of an attack on the Virginia government that later brought them to begin importing slaves from Africa. Regarding the readings, Elizabeth Sprigs' experiences and those of Olaudah Equiano differed on the basis of respect and basic human rights. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Indentured servants were citizens of the English colony at the time. These were individuals who were promised land and money for any work they were able to complete. It was not forced labor but a contract since they were free to do whatever they wanted after a day's work. As noted in the readings, "unlike slaves, servants could expect to be freed from servitude once their period of work was completed and receive a payment called a "freedom check." This quote basically explains how indentured servants were free to do whatever they wanted compared to slaves who were stripped of those things since they always had to be at the disposal of their masters. Furthermore, when it came to basic rights, African slaves were treated much worse than indentured servants. They were mistreated by their owners and the situation was as you see regarding their living conditions, clothing and meals. As noted in the records, "when I was carried on board, I was immediately handled and thrown to see if I was in good health." This quote simply explains how many of them were ignored as humans and treated unfairly. Through the eyes of Elizabeth Sprigs and Olaudah Equiano, she felt that indentured servants were living in a loss situation because the conditions they were in were not suitable enough for them, even though their condition was better than that of slaves Africans. on the other hand, it helped me understand the development of racism as it has long prevailed on the path of Africans and not only on the black individual. Through racism, a system was created in which white power was greater than black power. African slaves were torn from their families never to see them again. They could not be seated in groups of more than two as their owners considered it a way of plotting against them if they were seated in groups of more than two and at the time they were also given English first names. African slaves worked purely for the luxury of their owners, they worked in worse conditions than indentured servants, but were treated unfairly. As stated in the readings "Many Negroes Are Better Used". This statement, in its form, is sufficiently racist. Additionally, in understanding the experiences of African indentured servants and slaves, it is clear from my understanding that the institution of slavery in the English colonies was born out of fear of the minorities who ruled them in the long term. mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized document now from our expert writers..