▁exchange ▁for ▁having ▁their ▁trip ▁to ▁Jam est own ▁paid ▁for ▁by ▁someone ▁in ▁Jam est own . ▁ ▁Once ▁the ▁seven ▁years ▁were ▁over , ▁the ▁indent ured ▁servant ▁was ▁free ▁to ▁live ▁in ▁Jam est own ▁as ▁a ▁regular ▁citiz en . ▁However , ▁colon ists ▁began ▁to ▁see ▁indent ured ▁servants ▁as ▁too ▁cost ly , ▁in ▁part ▁because ▁the ▁high ▁mort ality ▁rate ▁meant ▁the ▁force ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁res upp lied . ▁▁ 1 7 th ▁century ▁In ▁ 1 6 1 9 , ▁Dutch ▁trad ers ▁brought ▁African ▁slaves ▁taken ▁from ▁a ▁Spanish ▁ship ▁to ▁Point ▁Com fort . ▁ ▁Several ▁colonial ▁colleg es ▁held ▁ens la ved ▁people ▁as ▁workers ▁and ▁re lied ▁on ▁them ▁to ▁operate . ▁ ▁The ▁development ▁of ▁sla very ▁in ▁ 1 7 th - century ▁America ▁ ▁The ▁laws ▁rel ating ▁to ▁sla very ▁and ▁their ▁enfor cement ▁hard ened ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁and ▁the ▁prospect s ▁for ▁Afr icans ▁and ▁their ▁descend ants ▁grew ▁increasing ly ▁dim . ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 6 4 0 , ▁the ▁Virginia ▁courts ▁had ▁sent enced ▁at ▁least ▁one ▁black ▁servant , ▁John ▁P unch , ▁to ▁sla very . ▁In ▁ 1 6 5 6 ▁Elizabeth ▁Key ▁won ▁a ▁suit ▁for ▁freedom ▁based ▁on ▁her ▁father ' s ▁status ▁as ▁a ▁free ▁English man , ▁and ▁his ▁having ▁bapt ized ▁her ▁as ▁Christian ▁in ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁England . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1