Indentured Servants in the American Colonies

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Indentured Servants in the American Colonies
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The Scope

• One half to two thirds of all immigrants to
  Colonial America arrived as indentured servants.
  At times, as many as 75 of the population of
  some colonies were under terms of indenture. Even
  on the frontier, according to the 1790 U.S.
  Census, 6 of the Kentucky population was
  indentured.

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What was it?

• Imported servants, mostly Europeans
• Agreed to work for a number of years in return
  for paid passage to North America
• Contracts were drawn up, and sometimes included
  rewards for fulfilling those contracts land,
  livestock, money, etc.

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The Virginia Company was one of the largest
recruiters of indentured servants!
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A contract for an indentured servant circa 1692
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Another contract, this one from the 1740s
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A registry of indentured servants in an American
colony
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Questions

• What types of servants do you think were the most
  desirable to farmers? Why?
• Young men, aged 18 30. Young men nearing their
  physical prime could generally work very hard for
  many hours a day.

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Questions

• Which types of servants were the least desirable?
• Children lt 14 years old, older women. Children
  and older women generally could not work as hard
  and thus were less valuable to the farmer.
  Younger women were often in high demand as
  housekeepers, however.

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Questions

• How do you think the contracts differed between
  desirable servants and undesirable servants?
• Desirable servants were in high demand, so
  farmers had to offer them better contracts than
  less desirable servants.
• Example 20 yr. healthy male 4 years of service,
  40 acres 2 mules upon completion
• 38 yr. healthy woman 8 years of service, new
  clothes upon completion

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1. An indentured servant agreed to work for
______. A certain number of years Four years
Life Seven years 2. The first indentured
servants usually worked ______ in America. In
seaports In factories In towns On
plantations 3. Indentured servitude ______
the same as slavery. Was not Was 4.
Which of the following was not a reason why an
indentured servant might have come to America?
Freedom to choose a job Chance for a better
life Room and board Free passage
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5. The system of indentured servitude lasted
for about ______ years. 200 400 20 1,000
6. Indentured servants were recruited by
______. The United States government The
London Company Plantation owners The Virginia
Company 7. Indentured servants traveled to
America ______. In steerage First class By
train By purchasing a ticket 8. In the
1600's, indentured servitude was an important
part of the ______ economy. Industrial New
England Plantation English