Niya Collins History 1301 course #55370 Degrees of Freedom in the Seventeenth Century In the seventeenth century of North

America, there were many degrees of freedom that

coexisted throughout the land. Numerous definitions of freedom took wings over this era of time for slaves, indentured servants, women, Indians, property owners, and Puritans. Before 1660, slavery in North America was not thought of as complete enslavement. Slaves had many privileges. They could travel freely though out the land without permission from their owner. They were free to give testimony in court, sign legal documents, and sue white people. Some slaves were allowed to earn wages by working after hours jobs. Some slaves were allowed to implement a work contract for their freedom like indentured servants, but they could not carry a fire arm like them. Slaves could be even granted freedom for converting their religion to Christianity. They did not have to worry about their family members being sold. Slaves could get married but indentured servants could not. Indentured servant had the luxury of trading four to seven years of volunteer labor for their freedom, unlike the slaves who were bound for life. At the end of their contract, they were considered free members of society. Indentured servants and slaves were alike in many ways. Like the slaves, indentured servants endured violent behavior such as beatings and rape at the hands of their owners. They also had rights to give testimony in court, sign legal documents, and sue white people. In the 1600s, women had very little rights and freedom, but white women had more freedom and rights that black women. Both white and black women had freedom of speech and freedom of religion, but only white ladies could bear fire arms. Both free black women and

unmarried white women and windows could own their own business and property. Most white females had the privilege to learn basic reading and writing skills, while black women did not have this right. White servant women did not have to work in the tobacco fields but black servant women did. In the seventeenth century, the Indians had freedom to choose their religion. They could choose to be Christian baptism or Catholicism while they were under the Spanish control. They had the freedom to have several wives. They had the freedom to fish, hunt, and grow crops on the land until they sold rights to the Dutch to share the land. Before 1646, they had immunity to live anywhere in North America, until the 1646 treaty required them to live on land north of York River. Property owners enjoyed a full range of rights in the seventeenth century. They had the freedom of stripping people of liberty. They could own and sell another human being like they were animals. They could participate in assemblies and hold government offices their colony. The wealthy had the power to voted and served on juries. They could beat and kill their slave without facing felony prosecution. In 1630 the Puritans decamped to the America to break away from England to escape religious persecution. In the eyes of the Puritans, freedom meant being able to establish a church that was different that the Church of England, but in reality the Puritans were no different than the Church of England. They incarcerated, penalized, banished, and beat people that did not agree with their way of life. In the seventeenth century, definitions of freedom in this era differed across North America. The various definitions of freedom affected the lives of slaves, indentured servants, women, Indians, property owners, and Puritans in many different ways.