Standing Firm to Distinguish Between "Enslaved" and "Servant"

Hours: 107

Last week, I had the opportunity to utilize the card catalogues at the JDP in order to see what the site does and does not have on file concerning the enslaved, indentured, and free people who labored here in the 18^th and 19^th centuries. Because the only day that I could complete research in person last week was on a Tuesday and due to travel, a good majority of my research following last Tuesday was completed remotely. Though I have searched for documents online concerning my research topic, I again noted the dearth of information available online for my research and relied on secondary sources to gain knowledge about slavery in Delaware. Also, I am still being as attentive as I can be to the ways that “slave” and “enslavement” are utilized throughout the documents that I have come across, secondary or primary.

After reviewing more secondary sources, I saw that the push to regard people who were enslaved during the 18^th and 19^th centuries was not one with a large focus. In fact, one of the sources that I focused on for this search was a biography of John Dickinson written by Milton E. Flowers titled John Dickinson: Conservative Revolutionary. Milton uses the words “slave” and “servant” throughout the book, though he speaks about the same people when using the terms interchangeably. I took into account that this book was published in 1983, and with this in mind, I tried to reflect on what conversations were being had at this time when determining the proper context to label someone as a “slave” or a “servant” vs. the conversations that are being had about this situation today. I will outwardly say that there is a distinct difference between someone who was enslaved and someone who was an indentured servant, so I believe (and will push for through my research) the correct labeling of historical figures who labored under distinct and varying circumstances.

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