I chose to write about chapter three because of my fascination with the period of slavery in our country; the reasons why this happened, why it happened and some of the missing history behind this period. As for the missing story, I have always been captivated by the underlying story that made slavery possible in America. Chapter three addresses the topic that has intrigued me since high school, specifically how the slave trade came to be, how it began, and those who actually started and ran it. It was very interesting that the concept of indentured servant was introduced. from Europe. Indentured servitude is itself a form of slavery, even if the individual eventually works their way to “free” status. I never really understood the fact that people could basically “sell out” to a certain type of slavery, but denounce other forms of it. Interestingly, this self-proclaimed slavery is still practiced today in regards to debt and how much is owed to others. What’s really interesting is what caused the decline of the indentured servant movement. The reasons given in the book, "less linked to overcrowding of houses and rumors of mistreatment of indentured servants" (Binder and Reimers, 2008, p. 42), show that even some Europeans had opened their eyes to the partial slavery. Thus, it became one of the most important causes of the transition from indentured servitude to slavery. Greed was also one of the main reasons why this change happened. This “greed” forced those who owned the largest farms and plantations to seek an inexhaustible source of cheap labor. But notwithstanding the cost of labor, it was also about the ability to control the people working for the owner. There is no doubt that gen...... middle of paper ......ps over others to further their own personal gain.Dr. Falconbridge explains very well that the crews of the slave ships did not care about the slaves, but that they mainly intended to keep them alive to save their investments. It also seems to me that the owners of the ships intended to minimize lost profits, instead of treating the individuals with any human dignity. There is no doubt in my mind that these enslaved individuals understood what awaited them in the New World and could not dare endure the hardships that awaited them. This selection of text really opened my eyes to the extent of slavery in its entirety. the slave trade and the main incentive for such trafficking – greed. Works Cited Binder, FM & Reimers, DM (2008). The Way We Lived: Essays and Documents in American Social History. Sixth edition. Houghton Mifflin Co..