▁the ▁owner . ▁ ▁S lave ▁own ers ▁saw ▁slave ▁women ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁pros pective ▁fert ility . ▁ ▁That ▁way , ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁slaves ▁on ▁a ▁plant ation ▁could ▁multiply ▁without ▁having ▁to ▁purchase ▁another ▁African . ▁ ▁Un like ▁the ▁patri arch al ▁society ▁of ▁white ▁Ang lo - American ▁colon ists , ▁" s lave ▁families " ▁were ▁more ▁mat ri arch al ▁in ▁practice . ▁ ▁" Master s ▁believed ▁that ▁slave ▁moth ers , ▁like ▁white ▁women , ▁had ▁a ▁natural ▁bond ▁with ▁their ▁children ▁that ▁therefore ▁it ▁was ▁their ▁responsibility ▁- ▁more ▁so ▁than ▁that ▁of ▁slave ▁f athers ▁- ▁to ▁care ▁for ▁their ▁off spring ." ▁Therefore , ▁women ▁had ▁the ▁extra ▁responsibility , ▁on ▁top ▁of ▁their ▁other ▁day - to - day ▁work , ▁to ▁take ▁care ▁of ▁children . ▁Men , ▁in ▁turn , ▁were ▁often ▁separated ▁from ▁their ▁families . ▁ ▁" At ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁that ▁slave hold ers ▁promoted ▁a ▁strong ▁bond ▁between ▁slave ▁moth ers ▁and ▁their ▁children , ▁they ▁denied ▁to ▁slave ▁f athers ▁their ▁pat ernal ▁rights ▁of ▁ownership ▁and ▁authority ..." ▁Bi ological ▁families ▁were ▁often ▁separated ▁by ▁sale . ▁ ▁Ind ent ured ▁serv itude ▁Some ▁histor ians , ▁not ably ▁Edmund ▁Morgan , ▁have ▁suggested ▁that ▁indent ured ▁serv itude ▁provided ▁a ▁model ▁for ▁sla very ▁in ▁ 1 7 th - century ▁Virginia . ▁In ▁practice , ▁indent ured ▁servants ▁were ▁te en agers ▁in ▁England ▁whose ▁father ▁sold ▁their ▁labor