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Chronological Reasoning and Causation

Indentured Servitude and Slavery in New York State

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About this Activity

  1. Load Indenture of Matheas Wirgerlin, Schenectady, October 28, 1777 in Main Document Viewer
  2. Load Indenture of Matheas Wirgerlin, Schenectady, October 28, 1777 in Main Document Viewer
  3. Load Bill of Sale for a 24 year old woman "a slave for life" in Main Document Viewer
  4. Load Indenture for Holway, Aged 4 in Main Document Viewer
  5. Load Indenture for Holway, Aged 4 in Main Document Viewer
  6. Load Indenture for Simmons in Main Document Viewer
  7. Load Manumission of Mink, April 28, 1795 in Main Document Viewer

Suggested Teaching Instructions

7.2 COLONIAL DEVELOPMENTS: European exploration of the New World resulted in various interactions with Native Americans and in colonization. The American colonies were established for a variety of reasons and developed differently based on economic, social, and geographic factors. Colonial America had a variety of social structures under which not all people were treated equally.
7.2e Over the course of the 17th and 18th centuries, slavery grew in the colonies. Enslaved Africans utilized a variety of strategies to both survive and resist their conditions.
Within the context of New York State history, students will distinguish between indentured servitude and slavery.
You may wish to have students analyze each document in a centers acitivity or have each student analyze one document in a jigsaw activity and share their findings with their home group. 

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