Slavery and indentured servitude were two different forms of labor that were prevalent in the past. Slavery involved buying, owning, and selling human beings as property and forcing them into a lifetime of unpaid labor. This practice was racially based, primarily involving the African population. Slaves had no rights or freedoms, and their offspring were also considered property of the slave owners. On the other hand, indentured servitude involved a contract between two parties where one party a