Indentured Servants In Virginia Essay

In the 1500 English poor laws allowed people to make children indentured servants until they became adults and were able to live alone and be free. This event ended up coming to the united states and they decided to put those kids in foster care. Even though indentured servants were looked down upon they thought it was better than putting them in almshouses where kids were abused unhygienic and didn't learn trade or any basic knowledge that they will need for when they become adults

George Alsop’s memoir of his service as an indentured servant in the colony of Maryland provides an insightful look into the lives of indentured servants in Maryland during the middle of the 17th Century. Throughout this period of colonial America the British were notorious in their use of propaganda to attract young British men into indentured servitude as the use of slaves was not yet perpetual, and would not be until 1670. Alsop depicts an idealistic view of indenture servitude in Maryland during his own time of service, which may have been the case, however this view can be contested by Nathaniel

Indentured servitude was the institutional arrangement devised to increase labor mobility from Europe (particularly England) to America, and it was the labor system that preceded American slavery. Its emergence in Virginia in the seventeenth century can be seen as a development expedient to the circumstances surrounding the colony. Indentured servitude was practically the only way in which a poor person could get to the colonies and planters could be supplied with cheap labor. Richard Frethorne's document written in 1623, The Experiences of an Indentured Servant, legalized the master-servant relationship, specified the kind of labor to be performed, the length of time to be served, and the dues owed to the

When Europeans first came to the New World they were stunned to see how cheap land was and how expensive labor was. Many of these settlers relied on Indentured servants and Indians as cheap labor but this came with many disadvantages. Indentured servants “carried too high a price for farmers who raised crops for subsistence.” ( The American Journey Ch. 3, Pg.78) Another disadvantage to using indentures servants was that they only worked long enough to repay the debt they had. Using Indians also came with an array of problems. One of the most blaring problems was the death rate. Many Native Americans died from diseases that the settlers brought with them and some of them died from being overworked with made the death rate sky rocket. Men also

Contrary to the pilgrims of New England, those who settled in the Chesapeake area colonized the region for more economic purposes. Many people who settled in the Chesapeake were down-on-their-luck English citizens living in swamps and slums hoping to stake it out in the New World, because it couldn’t be much worse than the conditions they faced back in England. Most received their tickets to America through indentured servitude, paying for their trip with a few years of free labor for a wealthy master. Document C is a roster of indentured servants bound for Virginia who are all set to work for the same master. Indentured servitude had long lasting effects on the colonies, the most impactful being Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676 (Document H). This uprising was caused former indentured servants who had no land or property of their own once their work contracts expired. Because the land westward was populated by Natives and therefore almost impossible to acquire, the dissenters focused against the rich and powerful members of the colonies. The successful uprising led to reforms such as work regulations explained in Document E, as well a shift away from indentured servitude and towards slavery of blacks. Other settlers besides indentured servants were aspiring traders and gold-hunters mentioned in Document F. While traders had little success early on and treasure hunters definitely didn’t find their fields of

A plantation economy, an economy founded on an agricultural mass production like tobacco, sustained the source of income of the Chesapeake regions, consisting Virginia, Maryland, and northern North Carolina. The early settlers soon realized the urgent need for labor in the New World. Due to the fact that many potential immigrants could not afford an expensive trip across the Atlantic, the Virginia Company developed the system of indentured servitude to attract common laborers. Since tobacco required intensive hand labor all year round, indentured servants have become vital to the colonial economy. "Virginia Servant and Slave Laws" represent the elaborate efforts of masters' to profit from indentured servants and slaves against runaway and

Often, people became indentured slaves due to hardships that were inevitable during their time. Two examples of such people are John Harrower and Richard Frethorne. While John Harrower lived a somewhat respectable and comfortable life as and indentured servant, Richard Frethorne had a much more difficult time. One reason for this may be because of their time differences; Jon Harrower is from the late 1700s, while Richard Frethorne is from the mid 1600s. Between John Harrower and Richard Frethorne , there are several similarities and contrasting differences which classify them both as indentured slaves living very different lives. Both men experienced similar hardships, different home lives and

During the 18th century, indentured servitude had become very common in British North America; this was one way many poor Europeans could come to America for a “better” life. In order to emigrate to the American colonies, they would sign long-term labor contracts, to pay off the debt they picked up when they wanted to come to the American colonies. The primary source, “Gottlieb Mittelberger on the Trade in Indentured Servants” is written by Mittelberger himself in 1750, who was an emigrant that arrived in British North America as an indentured servant. In this source, he explains the negatives of coming to British North America; the ups and downs he faced, for instance: the long and horrible voyage conditions, and the sale of human beings once they had landed.

The first African Americans that were put to work in Jamestown were not treated in the way that people traditionally think of early slavery. In fact they were treated just as the indentured servants that had come from England were treated. This does not mean that they were treated with any sympathy or given easy work, but that they just were not discriminated by the color of their skin. In the beginning of the 1600s all servants had the same dream, to one day be free. In 1641, a black slave by the name of Anthony Johnson, was freed and given his own land to start his new life as an American (Johnson et al, Africans, 39). At this point in time the only things that separated people were if you were an owner or a servant and if you were a Christian or not. At some point in the mid 1700s something changed the way that the colonists saw things. All of a sudden there was no longer equal treatment of white and black slaves, the darker the color of ones skin was the worse off their life became. In 1640, three slaves tried escaping to Maryland but were unsuccessful, when they were brought upon the court two of the

The decline of indentured servitude and the rise of chattel slavery were caused by economic factors of the English settlers in the late 17th century. Colonists continually tried to allure laborers to the colony. The head right system was to give the indentured servant a method of becoming independent after a number of years of service. Colonists chiefly relied on Indentured Servitude, in order to facilitate their need for labor. The decreasing population combined with a need for a labor force, led colonists to believe that African slaves were the most efficient way to acquire a labor force that would satisfy their needs.

Life in England during the early 1600’s was harsh for a multitude of the poor. The country was just coming out of the Thirties Year’s War with a flood of citizens and laborers displaced. In fact, PBS (2015) indicated that “the timing of the Virginia colony was ideal.” The Thirty Year 's War had left Europe 's economy depressed, and many skilled and unskilled laborers were without work. A new life in the New World offered a glimmer of hope; this explains how one-half to two-thirds of the immigrants who came to the American colonies arrived as indentured servants” (para. 3). This opportunity for those willing to receive free passage to the New World and start a new life was enticing. Granted, the work was difficult it was not without reward.

treatment was different for servants and slaves. Being black meant being treated differently then others. a 1639 virginia law allowed for everyone except negroes to have arms and ammunition. This meant that an indentured servant who was sold and forced to do labor had this right whereas slaves did not. Indentured servants suffered because of all the diseases the ship contained and because the horrible quality of food and water. Servants had a tiny toom that was 6 feet in length and two feet wide. besides food rationing servants had

Before the Civil War, the growth tobacco, rice and other goods in the South called for a necessity of labor on plantations. As tobacco became a cash crop there was an increase in the activity of growing tobacco. Currently, there were no machinery to take care of the work on these plantations. Therefore, there was a need for cheap labor to provide for the lands. The Virginia Company developed an economic system of indentured servitude to obtain servants who would most likely do the duties on the servants. This system was successful because after the thirty-year war had just ended and many people had lost their jobs or were unemployed (“Indentured Servants in the U.S.”). Majority of the immigrant population, over two- thirds, had arrived in

During the seventeen century a large amount of slaves starting to enter North America; Virginia and Maryland in particular. At the time tobacco was introduced to the colonies by John Rolfe. Indentured servants where people who worked for a master for a certain of number of years and, in exchange they were brought over to New World for free. At first many indentured servants could not survive the New World, and died quickly due to diseases. Over time the servants adjusted to the new environment and started living much longer than before. As the New World began to expand, servants to break their contracts with their masters. Many servants fled to Pennsylvania because of William Penn’s belief in universal freedom. Some also left also back to Landon

Labor in colonial America was scarce. Explain the development of using indentured servants for labor in the colonies. Below are some of the items you may include: