 The first African @-@ Americans to reach America were initially brought over as indentured servants , but instead became slaves . By the 19th century , slave trading was a thriving business . Typical slave families consisted of one or two children . Women were primarily the head of the families , either because the fathers had died or had been separated from the family . African @-@ American women experienced what came to be known as the " double day , " a full day of domestic chores plus a full day of work outside the home . 
 The first African @-@ Americans to reach America <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>were</mark></a> initially brought over as indentured servants , but instead became slaves . By the 19th century , slave trading was a thriving business . Typical slave families consisted of one or two children . Women <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>were</mark></a> primarily the head of the families , either because the fathers <a href='been_done' title='3'><mark>had</mark></a> died or <a href='been_done' title='4'><mark>had</mark></a> been separated from the family . African @-@ American women<a href='been_done' title='5'><mark></mark></a> experienced what came to be known as the " double day , " a full day of domestic chores plus a full day of work outside the home . 
The first African @-@ Americans to reach America was initially brought over as indentured servants , but instead became slaves . By the 19th century , slave trading was a thriving business . Typical slave families consisted of one or 2 children . Women was primarily the head of the families , either because the fathers done died or done been separated from the fam . African @-@ American women been experienced wht came to b known as the " double day , " a full day of domestic chores plus a full day of wrk outside the home .