6They came in the holds of overcrowded ships, packed in among cargo and animals. They were sold to others to work as hard and under as dismal conditions as their owners chose. They were taken to the West Indies, to Barbados, to the American colonies, and beyond. A familiar story, is it not? But these immigrants, derived of all personal freedom, were Irish, and their servitude started long before black slavery was common. Even among those not enslaved, many were treated nearly the same as indentured servants, or later as contract labor on the railroads, mines, and other dangerous tasks. Your eyes will be opened by this book if you dare to allow them to be, as you learn more of this nearly forgotten part of world history. NOTE TO READERS FROM THE AUTHOR: This book contains quotes from written works and documents that have spelling other than the standardized spelling we use today. I did not correct this spelling. These are not typos or mistakes, as some readers have thought. They are merely historical differences.