White Servitude and the Growth of Black Slavery in Colonial America

Abstract

The role of white servitude evolved in a similar way during the course of the American colonial period in the West Indian and southern mainland colonies. The change from primary reliance on bound white labor to the use of slaves occurred in two steps, with an initial transition from servants to slaves in unskilled field work followed some time later by widespread training of blacks and substitution of slaves for servants in skilled occupations. The timing of the two steps can be understood as a function of the changing relative costs of indentured and slave labor in the markets for unskilled and skilled labor.