'Like Poor Galley Slaves ....': Slavery and Convict Transportation

Slavery was just one of a number of forms of unfree labour associated with European overseas expansion. Indeed, of an estimated 5,300,000 unfree migrants carried on British vessels in the period 1519-1920 only about 58 percent were slaves. Of the remainder the rest were indentured servants (predominantly drawn from the Indian subcontinent) and 6 percent (or approximately 310,000) were transported convicts.