Indentured Servants In North America

The history of North American white indentured servants was as long as the entire North American colonial history. May 1607, London sent the first group of settlers to North America, built the James Town. The number of first group immigrants was 105, including the white indentured servants. Just in decades later, a large-scale importation of white indentured servants was filling the town. Initially, the Europeans tried to get workforce from indigenous Indians of North America. They had tried every means to capture Indians as slaves. However, North America is home for the American Indians, they can easily escape after being arrested. On the other hand, the total Indian population was extremely limited, far from meeting the needs of the growing
One is those who are unable to repay their debts. Who unable to pay the debt, people would signed for a contract with creditors that are willing to work a number of years for satisfaction. Second, people think of the lack of tolls to North America. Many poor immigrants, in order to raise travel fees, often sold themselves into slavery to a transatlantic ticket, as the so-called "voluntary contract people." The third is kidnapped by the colonial government of immigrants. American colonists fabricated a fairy tale of how the rich is the North America, to induce a large number of English, Scottish, Irish, French people, Germans, Dutch, Jews and Swedes moved to America, of which the largest number is English people. Their lack of self-defense ability, such as the infirm beggars and children, were often forced or lured into slavery. ”Many of those kidnapped it was claimed were ’felons condemned to death, sturdy beggars, gipsies, and other incorrigible rouges, poor and idle debauched persons’ Historian Beverley, in his famous ‘The History and Present State of Virginia’ published in London in 1705, stated ” , the criminals in United Kingdom, this is the biggest source of white indentured
The southern colonies in North America, cruel punishment were commonly happen on white indentured servants. Every colony in Virginia has pillars for use to whip the slaves. One guy had tied to a pillar 4 consecutive days; his ear was nailed to a pillar. His "crime” was to philandering with a maid. Southern plantation owners treated their white indentured servants even more cruel than the black slaves, because they feel that their “black property” will always be slaves, but white indentured servants will one day be free. As indentured servants after the expiry of the contract, generally they can get a small piece of land, an independent small farmer, but the previous owner must pay a "ceded rent." “With Freedom dues, the former servant could make his way in the colonies as a hired laborer or even as a landowner. No stigma attached to his past