The description of Adams receiving people with his lands raises a problem of translation. One interpretation places their condition closer to dependent peasantry or serfdom than to ownership as chattel. Their freedom was severely restricted, but the relationship included some rights and obligations on the lord. Responsibility for their welfare distinguished this arrangement from the model of slavery used in the comparison. Replacing a burned house illustrates the kind of obligation being discussed. The distinction does not make the dependence benign; it explains why small differences in legal status could matter greatly to daily life.
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Feudal dependence in Adams's land grant
Translating the people attached to Adams's lands requires attention to rights and the lord's obligations.