94 The Story of The Bronx 



Indians were also reduced to a condition of slavery in the early 

 days of the colony, but the Indian has never shown himself to 

 be capable of hard manual labor — that he has left to his squaw. 

 Captain Graydon of the American army, while a prisoner at 

 Flatbush during the Revolution, wrote: "Their blacks, when 

 they had them, were very free and familiar; sometimes saun- 

 tering among the whites at meal time, with hat on head, and 

 freely joining occasionally in conversation, as if they were one 

 and all of the same family." Notwithstanding this familiarity, 

 there was no "amalgamation" between the two races until the 

 coming of the British army; and the first appearance of a 

 mulatto child "produced emotions of surprise and dislike." 



At the session of the State Legislature of 1817, Governor 

 Tompkins recommended the passage of an act abolishing 

 slavery in the State from and after July 4, 1827. By a previous 

 act of the Legislature under date of March 29, 1799: "Every 

 child born within this State after the 4th day of April, 1799, 

 shall be free, but shall remain the servant of his or her mother 

 until the age of twenty-eight years, if a boy, and twenty-five 

 years if a girl." This was supplemented by another act of 

 April 8, 1 80 1 ; and the Legislature of 18 17 unanimously adopted 

 the recommendation of the Governor, abolishing slavery com- 

 pletely in 1827. 



Another kind of enforced labor was also employed in the 

 colony, that of the indentured, or bond servant. This was a 

 man or woman who, desirous of coming to the New World, 

 received a passage from the ship-master, with the agreement 

 that upon arrival his or her services were to be sold for a 

 certain period, usually five years, to the highest bidder; the 

 ship-master pocketed the sum paid and was thus reimbursed 

 for his trouble and expense. Sometimes persons were tre- 

 panned in England and disposed of in this way by persons 



