Indian slavery in colonial times within the present limits of the United States

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Indian slavery in colonial times within the present limits of the United States

(8 User reviews) 1103

By Aiden Mancini Posted on Jan 17, 2026

In Category - Interior Design

Authors: Lauber, Almon Wheeler, 1880-1944 Published By : Lauber, Almon Wheeler, 1880-1944

Book Language: English

Hey, have you ever thought about what the word 'slavery' brings to mind? For most of us, it's the transatlantic slave trade and the horrific system that built the American South. But I just finished a book that completely shifted my perspective. It's called 'Indian Slavery in Colonial Times' by Almon Wheeler Lauber, and it's about a different, older system of bondage that existed right here in North America, long before plantations took root. This book shows how Native American tribes were not just displaced by European settlers; many were actively enslaved by them, by other tribes, and in a brutal network that stretched across the continent. The author pulls from court records, letters, and laws to show how common this practice was, from New England to the Carolinas to the Spanish Southwest. It's a hidden layer of American history that changes how you see the colonial era. It's not an easy read, but it's an important one that fills in a massive blank spot in our national story. If you're ready to look beyond the standard Pilgrim-and-Indian narrative, this will open your eyes.

File: Indian slavery in colonial times within the present limits of the United States

This isn't a novel with a plot, but the story it tells is powerful. Indian Slavery in Colonial Times is a history book from 1913 that pieces together a forgotten system. Author Almon Wheeler Lauber scoured early colonial documents—things like court cases, town records, laws, and personal letters—to prove that enslaving Native Americans was a widespread and accepted practice.

The Story

The book doesn't follow one person. Instead, it shows a pattern. Lauber explains how slavery happened. Sometimes it was outright kidnapping. Often, it was the result of war, where captured enemies were sold. European colonists passed laws to make this 'legal,' creating a market for Indigenous labor. The book takes you region by region, from Puritan New England, where 'praying towns' sometimes hid forced servitude, down to the Carolinas, where raids fueled a slave trade with the West Indies, and out to the Spanish territories in the Southwest. The scale is shocking, and the legal justifications colonists used are deeply troubling.

Why You Should Read It

You should read this because it corrects a simplified history. We often learn about colonists and Native Americans in terms of trade, alliance, or war. This book adds a crucial, darker dimension: widespread exploitation and bondage. It shows that slavery was a foundational part of colonial society from the very beginning, not something that started later with African slaves. Reading the actual words from colonial statutes and seeing the cold, bureaucratic way people were treated as property is impactful. It connects dots you didn't know were there, making sense of later conflicts and the brutal displacement of tribes.

Final Verdict

This book is perfect for history buffs and anyone who feels like the standard American history timeline is missing big pieces. Be warned: it's an academic book from over a century ago, so the writing can be dry and the facts are presented without much narrative flair. But that's also its strength—it's built on evidence, not drama. If you can push through the dense style, you'll come away with a fundamentally different understanding of early America. It's not a beach read, but it's a mind-changing one.