But there was a huge difference between African-slavery and European indentured service, and it begins with the fact that indenture was entered voluntarily as a way to pay off debts, and always included a set time limit.
Children of indentured servants were not themselves indentured, once their parents had fulfilled the terms of their contracts.
Yes, there were some abuses of the indentured service system, but it's estimated that between 1620 and 1776 about half of the 500,000 European immigrants came to America as indentured servants, fulfilled their contracts and went on to live normal lives.
Nothing remotely similar can be said of the 300,000 African slaves brought here in chains.
That's right. Slaves who came here were lucky. They got to live.
Unlike the African slaves who were taken to the islands and South America. Many of them died of tropical diseases. If you believe the reports, very few of those going elsewhere survived. BTW there were many indentured servants who were also sent to the Islands and South American. They didn't survive.
The slaves who came to America were the luckiest. They came to the land of opportunity.
They are the only group that hasn't taken advantage of that opportunity.