What was life like for indentured servants in the British colonies?
Servants typically worked four to seven years in exchange for passage, room, board, lodging and freedom dues. While the life of an indentured servant was harsh and restrictive, it wasn’t slavery. There were laws that protected some of their rights.
How long did indentured servants work for?
Indenture contracts were written between British agents and Ridgely indenture purchasers. All indentures were bought for only a limited time. Non-convict servants served terms of 4 to 6 years, while convicts had to serve at least 7 years.
How were indentured servants treated in America?
Indentured servants were not paid wages but they were generally housed, clothed, and fed. The rights to the individual’s labor could be bought and sold, but the servants themselves were not considered property and were free upon the end of their indenture (usually a period of five to seven years).
What did indentured servants do for work?
Duties. Some indentured servants served as cooks, gardeners, housekeepers, field workers, or general laborers while others learned specific trades such as blacksmithing, plastering, and bricklaying, which they often parlayed into future careers.
What were the living conditions of indentured servants?
The life of an indentured servant was difficult and filled with heavy physical labor. In the Chesapeake Colonies, this was usually field work. It has been estimated that an indentured servant working four acres of corn and tending 1,000 tobacco plants would bend over at least 50,000 times during servitude.
What were the living conditions of indentured workers?
Working Conditions in the plantations
The conditions at work were harsh, with long working hours and low wages. Given the weak physical condition of the labourers after the long voyage, this took its toll.
Did indentured servants get punished?
The indentured servants were often treated harshly. Physical punishments such as whippings were common, and in fact, many of the indentured servants died before their term of service was completed. Others ran away. Servants who ran away and were caught had their term of service extended.
Did indentured servants make money?
No, indentured servants did not get paid. In exchange for their labor, they received passage to the colonies and nominal food and board after they arrived.
Why did indentured servants leave England?
Many indentured servants chose to come to the Colonies from England because they were destitute. Workers who could not find work in England signed on with a company for passage to the Colonies overseas in exchange for a time of service.
What happened to most indentured servants?
The former servants were pushed westward, where the mountainous land was less arable and the threat from Indians constant. A class of angry, impoverished pioneer farmers began to emerge as the 1600s grew old.
What type of people were indentured servants?
Indentured servants were men and women who willingly signed a contract in which they agreed to work for a certain number of years to compensate for their voyage to America. Three different types of indentured servant agreements existed in the 18th century: free-willers, King’s passengers, and redemptioners.
What punishments did indentured servants have?
The indentured servants were often treated harshly. Physical punishments such as whippings were common, and in fact, many of the indentured servants died before their term of service was completed. Others ran away. Servants who ran away and were caught had their term of service extended.
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