Abstract In this article, the writer explores the indenturedservitude of Indians in terms of both its successful incorporation as part of the colonial system of domination and oppression, as well as in terms of how opposition and resistance to this system influenced political and social development in the region. The writer argues that with reference to both earlier and later periods of indenturedservitude on different Caribbean sites, an accurate history of indenturedservitude requires such a balanced analysis to understand fully its complexity and significance in terms of regional history.
Outline:
Introduction
IndenturedServitude as Subservience to Colonialism
IndenturedServitude and Resistance
Conclusion
From the Paper "Indeed, to understand differences in resistance across the region - from island to island - we must acknowledge the extraordinary levels of control of the plantation and civil authorities over the movement and actions of the indentured Indians. For example, while discontent and resistance was widespread in British Guiana, on the neighbouring island of Trinidad - with the second largest colony of indentured Indians in the Caribbean region - there was minimal resistance. The differences between the two situations cannot be explained with reference to caste or class/education of the Indians, as both came from the same pool of migrants. Instead, it is theorized while the appalling labour conditions in the islands represented a tinderbox that would be lit at any moment, different approaches to dealing with potential discontent on the part of the authorities was a critical factor in explaining differences between islands."
Abstract This paper discusses the history of redemptioners and indentured servants in the US. The paper looks at the various methods used to entice immigrants to colonial America and how the immigrants were treated once they arrived in American and during their passage. The paper notes that indenturedservitude, while not exactly the same, was very similar to slavery and that conditions under which the white servant and the black slave labored were practically identical, except for the greater possibility of freedom for white indentured servants. The paper concludes that no servitude is just, especially in a country that is founded on democracy and the notion that "all men are to be created equal."
From the Paper "In 1901, Karl Frederick Geiser wrote the book Redemptioners and Indentured Servants of Pennsylvania, to "in the hope of throwing some new light upon an important phase of our Colonial history upon which comparatively little has been written." One hundred years later, Geiser could easily publish his book again, since most people in the United States do not know about servitude during early America except for the African slaves. Terms such as redemptioners, embarkation, debarkation, and even indentured servants are not detailed often, yet this was--for good or bad--a major aspect of Colonial history."
Abstract This paper discusses the way the slave era and the era of indentured servants affected and still affects family life in the Caribbean, noting that many of the people in the region are the descendants of people who were brought to this region as slaves or as indentured servants. The paper suggests that it was a somewhat more benign form of slavery, though with many of the same characteristics and long-term effects.
From the Paper "The institution of slavery in different parts of the world had a major impact on those regions and on the population, both those who were slaves and those who were not. Such effects may continue long after the end of slavery. In the Caribbean region, many people are the descendants of people who were brought to this region as slaves or as indentured servants (a somewhat more benign form of slavery, though with many of the same characteristics and long-term effects). The centrality of family in the Caribbean has been noted if not fully understood by many scholars, and the long-term consequences may also not be understood fully."
This paper discusses the original forms slavery and servitude in the U.S. and how they led to the eventual segregation and racial discrimination of blacks.
Abstract The paper discusses the evolution of the indentured servant, as well as the means through which servitude was transformed into slavery, in order to highlight the general differences that appeared between black and white servants. The paper shows how, in the beginning, there was no difference between the whites and the blacks that were engaged in in indentured work. The paper then explains why slave trading became widely accepted and why black slaves were preferred over white ones.
The paper highlights how it was merely external forces that instilled the idea of racial discrimination, of racial inferiority and of the exploitation of human beings for more than two centuries.
From the Paper "The issue of slavery and servitude represented an important moment in the history of the United States. It also marked the direction the history of civil rights would eventually follow in the 20th century. There were different methods of servitude. Aside from the traditional means of slavery which included forced labor, indentured labor was a special category of labor which was considered, from a moral point of view to be superior to actual slavery. The evolution of the indentured service as well as the means through which servitude was transformed in slavery are important for pointing out the general differences that appeared between the black and the white servants."
Abstract This paper explores the relatively unstudied origins of the indentured servant trade. It claims that the institution of indenture was based on a combination of traditional English institutions; apprenticeship, farm labourers and domestic servants. This is proven by examining the social standing of each group, the terms of contracts in each profession, the tasks they performed and the social mobility they could expect upon finishing their term, in relation to indentured servants. The period before the large influx of African slaves is of particular interest in this study, since the dynamic of the servant trade was altered radically by the arrival of a cheaper labour force.
From the Paper "Opportunities that existed in the colonies were often closed to the poorer classes in England. Even for apprentices there were only four ways they could become established as a master; by marrying either the daughter or widow of their master, through inheritance, by purchasing a practice or by setting up their own. The latter options required a large initial investment, and the former circumstances were rare since a son of the master usually took over the practice. This left most tradesmen little better off than the common labourer . Servants in agriculture had even fewer prospects open to them in England; in order to marry and start their own household they would have to save the majority of their wages for about ten years, and then finding a small farm was difficult since they were much in demand and vacancies were very low."
Abstract The paper analyzes the stories of both those under the wrath of servitude, and those who inflicted it upon others, and discusses larger issues at play in the colony as a result of this practice. The paper sets out to prove that indenturedservitude began merely as a mode of cheap labor in Jamestown for those exploiting the riches of the land in the New World. The paper then shows how, slowly and systematically, slavery became a cultural institution that both shaped the way in which business was conducted in the colony, and the way in which those in England decided to either migrate to the New World or remain in the homeland. The paper explores what lessons the Jamestown colony teaches us in contemporary society.
From the Paper "While lower classes and others who were adversely affected by the economy of England were somewhat forced into servitude, there were others who went to Jamestown willingly to make fortunes, and quickly realized the reality of the circumstance in the early colony. This scenario, while rarer than the usual servitude scenario served to further the advances in the Jamestown colony. The skilled apprentices that made their decision to try and make it in the colony may have been subjected to servitude, but in effect, brought their skills to the economy of Jamestown, and while they may have toiled under the wrath of forced labor, contributed to the development of the cultural institutions of Jamestown."
Abstract Sociologically, company towns and indenturedservitude are two of the most complex topics of life in historic America. Indentured servants placed their trust in others to eventually gain their freedom and a better life, while company towns existed to better the company, rather than the residents. These two forms of controlled labor created new classes in America and, sociologically, say much about a people who can keep others in bondage, no matter what the outcome. This paper examines the history of indentured servants and company towns in the United States and discusses how sociological concepts apply to these topics.
From the Paper "Their wages were miniscule after the company deductions, so the company kept them dependent. They could never get enough money ahead to move away, and so, their family's well being and very survival depended on their subservience to the company and its' policies. Anyone who spoke out against costs, living conditions, wages, or social conditions was simply fired and kicked out of their company house. With nowhere to go, most employees simply did not speak up or make waves. Just as with indentured servants, the company, or "master" had all the power, and the worker had little. Indentured servitude may have disappeared in the country, but savvy companies still knew how to control their workers and get the most work out of them for the smallest investment possible."
Tags: agricultural, movement, Hadley, mines, industry
Abstract This paper discusses the passing of specific laws in the colonies of the New World where the first plan was to provide cheap labor in the form of indentured servants and local natives instead of slaves. The author discusses how it was this shift to indenturedservitude which gave rise to slavery for the Negroes in the New World.
From the Paper "However, the British did not begin with a conscious plan to colonize the New World, establish plantations and garner great wealth by enslaving Africans. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, British and other European societies were suspicious of people of other races and believed themselves superior to other races. This facilitated the domination of New World lands, which were all populated by indigenous people of darker and presumed inferior races. Nevertheless, the enslavement of darker-skinned people such as Africans wasn"t a formal plan at first, at least partly because they did not welcome being in proximity with people of other races. By the time the American Revolutionary war had begun, the American colonists owned more slaves than any other European colony, and English traders transported more slaves to market than any other country. (Bernhard , 1999)?
Abstract This paper explains that, prior to 1750, capitalistic practices and values were not central to the lives of North American colonists, who primarily were farmers. Most of the output from farmers was not for sale in the market, but, rather, was for family or local consumption. The author points out that there were two distinct growth spurts during the colonial period. The first and more rapid economic spurt occurred in each colonial region during the time of settlement, and the second spurt was during the 1740s and lasted to the Revolution. The paper relates that the American colonists issued the first paper money of any government in the Western world; the Massachusetts Bay Colony issued paper money in 1690, which were called "bills of public credit" and "bills of credit" and, by 1712, seven more colonies followed suit.
Table of Contents
Introduction
A Short Chronology of Early / Initial Colonial Economic Development
The Literature on America's Colonial Economy
What was the Rate of Economic Growth in the Colonies?
Legislation Promoting Manufacturing; Natural Resources Available to Colonies
IndenturedServitude as Part of the Colonial Economy
Slavery in the Colonial Period
Taxation in the Colonies
Taxation of Maritime Business
The Sugar Act ? a New Kind of "Tax" ? and its Ramifications
How Businessman Thomas Hancock Coped with Chaos in Colonial Currencies
From the Paper "In May, 1607, colonists land at Jamestown, Virginia, but starvation and disease reduce the original 105 settlers to only 32, according to "The Almanac of American History". However, in 1608, new provisions arrive and a self-supporting project of raising corn is instituted ? likely the first economic development in the colonies. Those same early Jamestown settlers brought skills at glassmaking with them and produce crafts, including beads, which are used in trade with Native Americans. Also in 1608, the London Company sends glass experts to Jamestown to build glass furnaces for future production (32). Jamestown's Captain John Smith learns how to cultivate corn from the Indians; he plants 40 acres of corn, which helps avoid continuing starvation problems, and leads to an industry of agriculture."
Abstract This paper examines the institution, practice and effects of slavery in the United States. The paper begins with a thorough explanation of how slavery began and its roots in indenturedservitude. Then the paper traces the process of the slave trade, with exacting detail about the conditions and treatment slaves faced on their voyage from Africa. The paper also discusses the buying and selling of slaves once they arrived in America and the varying treatment they received from their masters. Also explored is the labor they performed and conditions in which they lived and worked. Next, the paper examines the impact of slavery on the psyche of slaves, as individuals, families and communities. The paper concludes with a discussion of the Civil War and the ultimate dissolution of the institution of slavery by President Lincoln.
From the Paper "The beginning of slavery in the New World has some surprising origins. Slaves actually began as "indentured servants" in Jamestown, Virginia in 1619. (Volume Library) In return for an employee paying for their trip to the New World, a person agreed to work off the debt as the employee's servant. They were contracted to work for a period of time. Once they had fulfilled their contractual obligations, they were considered free. Many even obtained their own land and began to contract their own indentured servants. Indentured servants were both Blacks from Africa and Whites from Europe. From 1619 until 1640, these workers earned their freedom. (Journey From Slavery to Freedom) Black servants, white servants, and their employers often worked side by side in the fields. Historians agree that the early colonists did not at first intend to create a system of human bondage. (American History)"
Tags:indentured, servants, master, civil, war, lincoln, africa
Abstract In this paper, the cultural contributions given by women in Indo-Caribbean history relate directly to the resistance movements that were part of the slavery and indenturedservitude they labored beneath. The writer discusses that the identity of Indian women that worked on the plantations, a remarkably small minority to men in the Caribbean, were not the dainty females that modern historiography might impart, but women able to fight alongside men in times of revolt.
From the Paper "The basis of indentured servitude of the capitalist agenda of the ruling European parties in the Caribbean reflect the general aspects of slave labor that made places, such as Guyana, a racially divided place. The basis of race and historiography can determine why sugar cane cutters in Guyana suffered, as we hear within the song "Oh Maninga", as sung by Neisha Benjamin. These relate the historiographical commonalities that represent the capitalist agenda to conduct low wages and tyrannical ruling by the sugar cane managers."
This paper discusses the exploitation of East Indian women that migrated to the Caribbean in the 19th century and also looks at how these women adapted to their new life.
2,250 words (approx. 9 pages), 7 sources, 2005, $ 89.95
Abstract This essay examines the migration to Guyana of East Indian women in the context of indenturedservitude, racism and early capitalistic exploitation. Particular attention is paid not only to why they arrived in Guyana but also how their culture changed and adapted in order to survive in its new environment. As is argued, the culture of East Indian women in the Caribbean was historically as a consequence of indenturedservitude separated from the culture of Afro Caribbean women and the broader tradition of struggle against oppression in the colony.
From the Paper "While most Canadians' views of Caribbean islands such as Guyana are that they are populated by people of African descent whose ancestors were brought as slaves to work on plantations during the colonial era, this view ignores the significant population of East Indian descent in islands such as Guyana. These Indians were brought to Guyana in a process known as "indentured servitude" which was one of the most "successful" programs of the British imperial state of the 19th century."
Abstract In this essay, the writer looks at David Lindsay's "Mayflower Bastard", that is a speculative work of historical nonfiction that tells the tale of one of the author's ancestors. The writer describes that the work openly spins creative, fictional scenes that dramatize likely dialogue, emotions, and motivations of its primary protagonist. The writer continues that the work creates a view of history that may or may not be true but elucidates the often shady moral origins behind the enforced immigration of some of the early Puritans, and the actual morality that governed Puritan society. The writer points out that the author evidently hopes that by chronicling incidents from the origin, indenturedservitude, and final days of his ancestor Richard More, the 'Mayflower Bastard' of the title, the reader will gain a more morally complex and less judgmental view of the founding of the New England colonies.
From the Paper "These colonies, Lindsay suggests, were made up of both saints and sinners, and many of the early inhabitants were not motivated to immigrate to the New World because of religious intolerance in England, rather they were forced to by circumstances beyond their control. For example, Lindsay's ancestor is an apparently illegitimate man named Richard More. More became one of the oldest living residents of the Plymouth Colony in Colonial Massachusetts, partly because he was one of the youngest passengers on the voyage of the Mayflower. Although much of the true nature of More's life has been lost, David Lindsay uses the details that do survive regarding Richard More's existence to demonstrate his more comprehensive thesis that life in Puritan New England was far less sanitized than might be evident in the common conception of a stringent, repressed society that has been passed down to us through images of Salem or even Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter."
An examination of the reasons why indentured servants, Native Americans and slaves did not unite and rebel in the British colonies, while oppressed groups in Latin America did rebel.
900 words (approx. 3.6 pages), 2 sources, 2000, $ 31.95
Abstract "Indentured servants, Native Americans, and African slaves did not join together to overthrow the oligarchy that ruled over the thirteen British colonies in the seventeenth century even though there were large numbers of people in each group and they seemed to hold many goals in common
From the Paper "Indentured servants, Native Americans, and African slaves did not join together to overthrow the oligarchy that ruled over the thirteen British colonies in the seventeenth century even though there were large numbers of people in each group and they seemed to hold many goals in common. There were many reasons why such a large-scale revolt never took place: the three groups did not often have a language in common; the government of the colonies (and the government of Britain) were well-organized and armed; there was nowhere for people in revolt against the system to flee if they could not seize control; there was relatively little contact among the groups in many areas; and, if successful, these groups would have had to defend themselves against outside forces while engaged in the very difficult struggle to feed, house, and cloth themselves in an alien..."
Tags: HISTORY: U.S. (Before 1865), AMERICAN INDIAN STUDIES
Examines why indentured servants, Native Americans, and African slaves did not join together to overthrow the oligarchy that ruled over the thirteen British colonies in the seventeenth century.
Abstract This paper discusses the many reasons why a large-scale revolt against the British never took place: The three groups did not often have a language in common; the government of the colonies (and the government of Britain) were well-organized and armed; there was nowhere for people in revolt against the system to flee if they could not seize control; there was relatively little contact among the groups in many areas; and, if successful, these groups would have had to defend themselves against outside forces while engaged in the very difficult struggle to feed, house, and cloth themselves in an alien environment. It further discusses that the principal reason why there was no major seventeenth-century revolt was the differences in the dominant group's policies toward indentured Europeans, African slaves, and Native Americans which, in turn, produced different ideal goals among the people in these categories.
From the Paper "The absence of significant cooperation among the oppressed groups in the British colonies was not the case in Spain's Caribbean possessions. As Carew notes, there were many instances throughout the sixteenth century of the "joining together of Blacks and Indians in a common struggle" in the Spanish colonies--such as the cimarron revolts in Puerto Rico and Hispaniola (105). Such revolts and even more frequent acts of cooperative resistance continued for over 200 years in these colonies. But behind this cooperation was a "sense of community that was continually forged and reproduced in their everyday lives by virtue of the places they shared in the system of exploitation" (Carew 106). The difference between the situation of Caribbean and North American Indians was, however, that the former peoples were generally absorbed more directly and far more successfully into the system of slave labor than were the Indians of the British colonies. And in the seventeenth century African slaves were imported to the Spanish colonies in much greater numbers than in Britain's territory. Therefore the two groups were in immediate, constant contact and the chances of cooperative action were far higher."
