The Calculus of Slavery
- Rachel Hines
- Apr 5, 2015
- 2 min read
Artifact #1
The author of this letter was Elizabeth Sprigs, and she wrote it to her father asking for help from him in the form of clothes. She's currently an indentured servant in Maryland, and she writes about the terrible conditions she's had to endure as a result of choosing to venture to America "in exchange for a term as an indentured servant." From what she says in her letter, she has rather alienated her father by being "undutifull and disobient [sic]," and is attempting to "kindle up that flame again" in order to ask for his assistance.
In her letter, she provides various images of rather unfortunate circumstances, saying that she is "one of the unhappy Number..toiling [sic] almost Day and Night," and describing her treatment as, "tied up and whipp'd to that Degree that you'd not serve an Animal...what rest we can get is to rap [sic] ourselves up in a Blanket and ly [sic] upon the Ground." By using all of this imagery and emotionally charged language, she is trying to appeal to her father's pity and care for her so that he will send her aid, and thus isn't a particularly reliable source in this letter for the conditions that actually occurred during her servitude. Her bias is in the form of her personal self-interest; she needs to persuade her father, whom she has "offended in the highest Degree," to show her compassion.
However, through viewing this letter, we can see the mindset of someone who lived through those circumstances. Because Elizabeth Sprigs chose to leave, we can assume that maybe she thought her opportunities would be better served in America, or that she wanted to spite her father by leaving. Regardless of whether she has embellished on any details, we can tell that she does not have much to her name and is not treated the same as a free person would be. And through this letter, we can also tell that she was incorrect in whatever assumptions she may have had. Thus, the unfortunate circumstance she's found herself in have gotten bad enough that she feels the need to reach out to her father.
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