Final answer:
John Punch was severely punished by being whipped, put on board a sloop, sold to a slave-trader, and used as a warning to other slaves when he was captured in Maryland while fleeing from a Virginia planter. This punishment highlights the harsh treatment and conditions that indentured servants faced in the colonies.
Step-by-step explanation:
The sentence imposed on the American indentured servant John Punch in 1640 after he was captured in Maryland fleeing from a Virginia planter was to be brought immediately, severely whipped, put on board a sloop, carried to Baltimore, and sold to a slave-trader as a warning to the remaining slaves.
Indentured servants were bound to serve a set period of time, typically five to seven years, in exchange for passage to America and provisions. However, John Punch's attempt to flee resulted in his punishment as a warning to other slaves.
This punishment demonstrates the harsh conditions and treatment that indentured servants faced, as well as the shift towards slavery as the principal form of servitude in the early eighteenth century.