What is the difference between a “term slave” and a “slave for life?
A. When Pennsylvania legislators decided to abolish slavery in the state, they knew that a complete and immediate abolition of the practice would cause a financial loss to slaveholders by freeing those persons that were already held in bondage. They also knew that this would be politically unpopular, and might not pass a vote in the legislature. So they decided on a gradual approach, setting a cut-off date, whereby all of the persons held in bondage as of March 1, 1780 would remain in bondage, but all children of slaves born in Pennsylvania after that date would be held in bondage only until age twenty-eight. This created two classes of slaves. Those born prior to March 1, 1780 and considered slaves for their entire lives would remain “slaves for life.” However the children born after that date, to mothers who were considered “slaves for life,” would be freed at age 28, and were originally referred to as “indentured servants,” but who we now refer to as “term slaves.” We do this to dis
