Indentured Servants Dbq Analysis

Between the nineteenth and twentieth century, the growth of the plantation industry and the need for additional labor caused a mass importation of foreigners as indentured servers. Although the conditions of service seem fair and reasonable according to the contract, the actual conditions may not have been as good.

Most of the additional labor, which caused importation of indentured servers, was primarily male. Over the 16-year period from 1835-1851, the number of Asian Indian immigrants to Mauritius as published by the British Government in 1949 clearly shows a pattern of male dominance. The number of former male slaves outnumbered the females each year. [D6] Although the number of former slaves decreased over time, there were always more male than female slaves. Comparatively, the number of Asian Indian immigrants into Mauritius increased over time, but there still more males than female immigrants.

Although the indentured servants were led by a desire to better their conditions, they were treated more like slaves in their new country. “…They are not slaves, seized by violence, brought over in fetters, and working under the lash. They have been raised, not without effort, like recruits for the military service” [D1]. Herman
The conditions that indentured servitude offered were inhumane. A picture in Document 5 shows all of the newly arrived Asian Indian laborers awaiting assignment to work on sugar plantations in Suriname (Dutch Guiana) in 1855. As you can see the number of workers is quite large. Document 8 clearly demonstrates the complaints of one servant. Ramana complains that “I am not allowed proper time to eat my meals during the day. I have to commence work at about 5:30 in the morning and finish off about 8:30 pm daily, I work on Sundays up to 2 o’clock.” [D8] He clearly feels that he is overworked for the little pay that he