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The Treatment Of Slaves and Servants in Early America


            During the early years, when the colonies were fresh and new, there was .
             a necessitate for people to do the labor required to make the colonies function .
             and flourish. This lead to a scarcity to labor in the English colonies, which lead .
             to the exercise of "unfree" labor. In the start of the labor shortage, indentured .
             servitude was popular, then later on slavery became more vastly popular.
             Labor was necessary for various aspects of the lives of the colonists. In .
             the southern colonies a great deal of labor was needed for the harvesting of .
             tobacco. The first colonists to come over to the Americas contracted to seven .
             years of labor and in return, they would receive a share of the profit. When their .
             contracts expired, there was scarcely any profit. Seeing as no one was attracted .
             to coming over, the London Company stated a "dividend" of the land to those .
             who were still animate. Each colonist received 100 acres. The London Company .
             began to rely on these grants to aid their labor and capital deficiency.
             This all lead to the headright system, which went on to lead to the .
             indentured servant system. This system was established to bring together the .
             colonist who desired more land and labor, and people who wanted to get to .
             America. The way this system worked was, that in return for being transported .
             over to America, the servant agreed to work for a declared amount of time for .
             their master.
             Indentured servants did not have complete political and civil rights. .
             Basically, their master could discipline them however they wanted. Whether it be .
             verbally or physically. The masters could ill-treat their servants to keep them in .
             line. Though, servants could sue for the abuse.
             The indentured servants became free when they finished their years of .
             work. After their years are complete, they are free. Over half of the white settlers .
             of the southern colonies were indentured servants. The bulk of the servants .
             became landowners themselves.


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