Vol. I Chapter 6

The Social Structure of Virginia: Bondservants and Slaves

There were two types of bondservants: voluntary and involuntary. They were treated very poorly, sometimes beaten and tortured. There were cases of bondservant rebellions.

The supply of bondservants dried up, and Negro slavery became important. The large plantations would be uneconomic without slavery.

The feudal system never really took hold. Labor was more important than land, because land was much less scarce than in Europe.

The Indians did not make suitable slaves, and some Catholic thinkers found Indian slavery to be against Christian doctrine. However, Europeans still largely viewed Negroes as "natural slaves" and did not consider Negro slavery to be a big moral problem.

The oligarchs in Virginia were in a more precarious position than the aristocrats in Europe. They had to trade, work, and be mobile to stay profitable.