Indentured Servants In The Early 17th Century

In the early 17th century in North America, the very concept of freedom varied among different groups found within the colonies. The very definition of freedom in itself was influenced by a great deal of factors such as, race, gender, social status and religious beliefs. By looking through the many examples and diverse groups such as slaves, indentured servants, Native Americans, Women, Puritans, and property owners, the similarities and differences become shockingly clear.

Firstly, I want to focus on the example of the slaves and indentured servants found in the colonies in the early 17th century. For both groups, brutal treatment and a massive number of laborious tasks stood in front of each as they remained and worked in the colonies. The difference however comes in the way each group sees freedom. As slaves of enormous amounts viewed freedom as an almost impossible goal of living free without persecution and oppression that was not common for slaves in this time period. Whilst after a set number of years, indentured servants were entitled to this reality as many fulfilled their labor requirements and were allowed to live free in the colonies after their servitude.
With the arrival of European settlers, Natives were forced to greatly reduce their freedoms and live under the metaphorical thumb of colonization. Similarly, Women of this time period were also greatly limited in freedom due to the household arrangement being settled, which allowed for little freedom in daily life of Women of the colonies. However, the definition of freedom in each group couldn’t be more different. Natives thought freedom was deeply connected to their land and cultural autonomy. As for women, they sought the freedom to make their own decisions and have equal legal rights as their husbands in the household