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Lisa Ly

14 September 2017

History 7A

Document Interpretation 2: Of the Servants and Slaves in Virginia

This document makes a strong distinction between male and female slaves and servants

in order to show that many at this time deemed females unfit to be put to work. Society during

this time period believed that only men were strong and durable enough to labor outside while

women were too weak and fragile and had to be kept inside. Many believed that the only

responsibilities that women should have were to bear children and look after the household. This

belief resulted in seeing women as lower than men in society. As Beverly states, a woman should

not be put to work if she be good for any thing else. However, a black woman was placed in a

completely different position. Blacks were forced to be put into a subordinate position since they

were considered inferior in every way to the white man. Because of this perception, slave women

were used only for their labor and were expected to be put outside to work and nothing else. The

legal rights granted to the servants seemed to be very effective, for Beverly finds it odd that

people would think that such servitude was cruel despite the rights given to servants that protect

them from any unfairness or cruelty. Several laws are written in order to allow servants to voice

any complaints they might have against their master. This gives a servant a voice and the

opportunity to allow the Court to hear his or her complaint about something the master has done

or is doing. Other laws also place punishment onto a master in order to prevent the master from

doing anything harmful towards the servant. Masters are required to provide care and shelter to

servants, while also preventing the use of servants while they are deemed unfit for labor, such as

when they are sick. Other laws then set provisions for servants after their time of servitude is
complete. This ensures that servants receive compensation for their hard work and that they can

live nicely after being free. We can also see how effective these laws are by examining how

slavery gradually becomes more prevalent though out Virginia than servitude does. Furthermore,

these concessions are indeed a reflection of reality at this time. As Beverly states, there was an

unjust reflection of the country because many thought that servitude was an unfair and cruel.

Beverly also states that no one hates this sort of usage more than the Virginians, nor take more

precaution to prevent it. However, these concessions set by the country makes it known that

there will be compensation for the hard work put in during ones time of servitude. Treating

servants as poorly as treating slaves would have been a blow to the morality of the Virginians,

for though they are servants they are still a fellow white man; thus, there would have been no

profit in this. This shows that there are precautions set in order to prevent any servant from being

seen as lower than his fellow citizen. At the end of the day, both will own land and both will be

seen as equal men.

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