Jennifer Stone's show

[http://dummy.us.eu.org/robert (Robert)]

This made me thing of why would someone bother owning a human when they
could rent them as a day laborer.  Sort of like taking Uber instead of
owning a car, or renting an apartment instead of owning a home, or
borrowing a power tool rather than owning it.

Then I read that slave owners did rent out their slaves for a fee.

What's interesting is that, in general, it was much more difficult for
slaves to escape during these rentals simply because of their complexion.
It made me realize that skin color can be used as an easy attribute for
people to be targetted -- sort of like being chipped, but even before
there were electronics.  (I guess these days they use the word
"profiling".)  In other words, slavery in the United States had to be
race-based in order for it to be so effective.

(I wonder if they branded white indentured servants?  Brands and tattoos
might be easier to cover up.)