Indentured servants first arrived in America in the decade following the settlement of Jamestown by the Virginia Company in 1607. The idea of indentured servitude was born of a need for cheap labor.

In 1754 a carpenter named Josiah Halstead purchased the Allen House in Shrewsbury. Shortly thereafter he transformed it into a tavern. At some point, Halstead had indentured servants working for him. ...

National protests against police brutality amid a global pandemic have caused many Americans to reckon with the country’s history of racism and inequality. The moment has caused a fake historical meme ...

Author’s Note: a longer alternative version of this article with footnotes and instructions for use as an education module is available here. An important question follows. Does the common law’s ...