Takaki Chapter 3

In chapter three Takaki explores how slavery in colonial America. Takaki views how both English and African had common bonds, how English and African slaves were treated differently, and how government handled the slave trade. Takaki's thesis of chapter three is that originally the English were used for labor, "In the early days of the Virginia colony, most workers were white indentured servants. In fact, 75 percent of the colonist came as servants during the seventeenth century"(Takaki 54).

In chapter three Takaki shows that both the English and African slaves came to the colonies against their will. "Like the Africans, many white indentured came unvouluntarily" (Takaki 54). While they may have appeared to be different because of skin tone they both were stuck in the same social class. Both the Africans and the English were forced to work until exhausted and were sometimes tortured and beaten. As a result of this abuse both the both races tended to run away together. It occurred so often that the Virginia legislature examined these occurrences (Takaki 55). In the mid-1600's white slaves were beginning to recieve special treatment that black slaves were not recieving. Takaki gives two examples of this both occuring in 1640. The Virigina legislature suggested that all slaves "excepting negros" should recieve guns, and also in the same year two white men and a black man attempted to escape their plantantion. Once the men were caught the white men recived a far less severe punishment than the black man. The only constant in their punishment was they each man recieved thirty lashes, but the white men had to work an additional year for their servant and an additional three years to their colony. The black man on the other hand was forced to work for the rest of his life (Takaki 56). It was about this time too when African slaves were beginning to be percieved as property rather than people.

I found this chapter extremely interesting. When I think about slavery I never thought about endentured servants, I only thought of African slaves. Also I didn't think that white slaves would recieve special treatment over black slaves.

In conclusion Takaki shows how both the English and African slaves worked together, attempted to escape together, and ultimately the English slaves recieved special treatment.