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for war purposes. The Scotch, Irish and certain criminals
might be sold; but there were not enough of these,
especially for the development of New York and the Carolinas; 
and the colonial assemblies protested against the admission of criminals. 
About the same time, the masters of the African Slave Company, directors of 
the Board of Trade and Plantations and moulders of the
King's policy, made Jamaica the greatest slave mart
in the world, and they constantly urged New Englanders,
Virginians and Carolinians to buy Negroes at fifteen
to twenty pounds each, instead of white servants at
eight or ten pounds each for shorter terms of service.
It was not a bad appeal, and the fact that high officials of the government 
were financially interested did not lessen the pressure, although the Albemarles, 
Berkeleys and Carterets were none too popular in the colonies. The early colonial instinct 
for democracy weakened the slavery appeal and delayed the movement. The migration of indentured 
servants was on the decline,
yet there were in 1680 about 10,000 in the tobacco
settlements, perhaps 4,000 blacks, many of whom had been
freed at the end of long terms of service.
 
 
1. Donnan, Elizabeth: 
The Slave Trade in the Border Colonies
gives the best documentary account of the origin of slavery in the Old South that is likely to appear.