It is a pretty interesting story. Anthony Johnson indentured himself to come to America. After his indenturement ended, he struck out on his own and became very successful, owning some 250 acres of farm land. He began sponsoring other individuals, often black Africans, to come to the new world using similar indenturement contracts.
It is important to understand that indenturement in this time period was akin to a student loan or loan collateral where the collateral is the individual themselves. An individual who wanted to come to the new world bu couldn't afford the trip would offer a term of service to an individual and work to pay off that debt.
In Johnson's case, one of the individuals who sponsored was a man named John Casor. After Casor's indenturement ended, Johnson was required to release him, but Johnson was so dissatisfied with the quality of Casor's work, he told the court Casor was so lazy he'd need to work for a life time to pay off his indenturement. The court agreed and declared Casor a slave for life.
To the modern sensibilities, it was a terrible ruling. But not uncommon for the era. It wasn't the first case of courts extending indentured servants contracts and it wasn't the last.
It is a pretty interesting story. Anthony Johnson indentured himself to come to America. After his indenturement ended, he struck out on his own and became very successful, owning some 250 acres of farm land. He began sponsoring other individuals, often black Africans, to come to the new world using similar indenturement contracts.
It is important to understand that indenturement in this time period was akin to a student loan or loan collateral where the collateral is the individual themselves. An individual who wanted to come to the new world bu couldn't afford the trip would offer a term of service to an individual and work to pay off that debt.
In Johnson's case, one of the individuals who sponsored was a man named John Casor. After Casor's indenturement ended, Johnson was required to release him, but Johnson was so dissatisfied with the quality of Casor's work, he told the court Casor was so lazy he'd need to work for a life time to pay off his indenturement. The court agreed and declared Casor a slave for life.
To the modern sensibilities, it was a terrible ruling. But not uncommon for the era. It wasn't the first case of courts extending indentured servants contracts and it wasn't the last.