▁whether ▁the ▁servants ▁had ▁volunte ered ▁for ▁transport ▁or ▁were ▁kid n apped ▁and ▁forced ▁ab o ard ▁ships . ▁However , ▁for ▁centuries , ▁Irish ▁fol kl ore ▁or ▁various ▁books ▁had ▁referred ▁to ▁the ▁capt ive ▁servants ▁as ▁Irish ▁" s la ves " ▁even ▁into ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁tens ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁British ▁and ▁Irish ▁indent ured ▁servants ▁imm igr ated ▁to ▁British ▁America . ▁The ▁majority ▁of ▁these ▁entered ▁into ▁indent ured ▁serv itude ▁in ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁for ▁a ▁set ▁number ▁of ▁years ▁will ingly ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁pay ▁their ▁way ▁across ▁the ▁Atlantic , ▁but ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁were ▁transport ed ▁as ▁pun ishment ▁for ▁re bell ion ▁against ▁English ▁rule ▁in ▁Ireland ▁or ▁for ▁other ▁cr imes , ▁then ▁subject ed ▁to ▁forced ▁labour ▁for ▁a ▁given ▁period . ▁ ▁During ▁this ▁same ▁period , ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁slave ▁trade ▁was ▁ens la ving ▁millions ▁of ▁Afr icans ▁and ▁bringing ▁them ▁to ▁the ▁Amer icas , ▁including ▁the ▁British ▁colon ies , ▁where ▁they ▁were ▁put ▁to ▁work . ▁ ▁In ▁Ireland , ▁Africa , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁Car ib bean , ▁Irish ▁people ▁benef ited ▁from ▁the ▁African ▁trade , ▁as ▁slave ▁mer ch ants , ▁factors , ▁invest ors , ▁and ▁own ers . ▁According ▁to ▁historian ▁N ini ▁Rod gers , ▁" every ▁group ▁in ▁Ireland ▁produced ▁mer ch ants ▁who ▁benef ited ▁from ▁the