Indentured servants were individuals who signed a contract, or "indenture", agreeing to work for a certain number of years in exchange for passage to America. After their period of service, they would be granted freedom.
Imagine if you wanted a new video game console but couldn't afford it. So, you agree to do all your sibling's chores for a year in exchange for them buying it for you. That's similar to how indentured servitude worked - people traded years of labor for something they wanted or needed.
Slavery: This is a system where individuals known as slaves are treated as property and forced to work without consent or pay.
Middle Passage: This was part of the trade where Africans, densely packed onto ships, were transported across the Atlantic Ocean to the West Indies.
Emancipation: This is the act or process of being set free from legal, social, or political restrictions; liberation. In this context, it often refers to when an indentured servant's period of service ended and they gained their freedom.
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