Admin What was an indentured servant?
Indentured servitude refers to a contract between two individuals, in which one person worked not for money but to repay an indenture, or loan, within a set time period. However, indentured servants could be sold, loaned, or inherited, at least during the duration of their contract terms.
What race were the indentured servants?
In the early years of the colony, many Africans and poor whites — most of the laborers came from the English working class — stood on the same ground. Black and white women worked side-by-side in the fields. Black and white men who broke their servant contract were equally punished. All were indentured servants.
Why were indentured servants bad?
Indentured servants could not marry without the permission of their master, were sometimes subject to physical punishment and did not receive legal favor from the courts. Female indentured servants in particular might be raped and/or sexually abused by their masters.
How many indentured servants died in America?
In the 17th century, the islands became known as death traps, as between 33 and 50 percent of indentured servants died before they were freed, many from yellow fever, malaria and other diseases.
What is the difference from an indentured servant and a slave?
Unlike indentured servants, slaves had fewer/no rights. Indentured servants had more rights than slaves and were still free by law. Slaves, however, weren’t free and were instead owned by people.
What did the indentured servants receive for their labor?
For their labor in the colonies indentured servants received -passage to America -a suit of clothes and a few -barrels of corn -at times a small parcel of land. -They did not receive a headright English yeomen who agreed to exchange their labor temporarily in return for payment of their passage to an American colony were called indentured servants
How did indentured servants differ from apprentices?
As nouns the difference between apprentice and indenture is that apprentice is a trainee, especially in a skilled trade while indenture is (legal) a contract which binds a person to work for another, under specified conditions, for a specified time (often as an apprentice). As verbs the difference between apprentice and indenture
How did indentured servants differ from slavery?
Indentured servitude differed from slavery in that it was a form of debt bondage, meaning it was an agreed upon term of unpaid labor that usually paid off the costs of the servant’s immigration to America. Indentured servants were not paid wages but they were generally housed, clothed, and fed.