American Colonies In The Seventeenth Century

Those living in the American colonies in the seventeenth century faced many challenges. These tensions of political, social, religious and economic natures came from abroad and within. Influences of the political and economic nature from abroad onto the established American colonies shifted the shape and nature of the colonies; whereas, the social and religious tensions from abroad tended to create new colonies. The Quakers, for instance, were a group of English Protestants who left England in search of a new home for “their own religion and the own distinctive social order” (Brinkley, Alan. "Transplantations and Borderlands." American History: Connecting with the past, 53. 14th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2012). These were
Before the Revolutionary War and the declaration of freedom from the English, the colonies were expanding and in need of a labor force. To fill the need, the colonies opened their doors to anyone willing to make the dangerous journey from Europe. In many cases, immigrants were looking to improve their lives. They voluntarily traveled across the Atlantic in the hope for better wages and a chance to be more successful than at home (Archdeacon, Thomas and Elizabeth Carlson. "Genesis of the Dream." Sound Studies in American History. WHA Radio. University of Wisconsin). These immigrants were primarily English laborers who came to the colonies as indentured servants (Brinkley, Alan. "Society and Culture in Provincial America." American History: Connecting with the past, 68. 14th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2012). Indentured servants were men and women who had an agreement to work off their debts. The trip from Europe to America and the setup of a new home upon arrival was an expensive conquest. To offset this debt, they were bound to masters for a period of four to seven years as domestic servants (Archdeacon). Indentured servitude was a win-win situation. The immigrant had a guaranteed trip, food and shelter and the master gained laborers and extra land grants per servant imported (Brinkley, 69). Indentured servants had options; there were multiple colonies to choose from. “Indentured servants generally avoided the southern colonies, where working conditions were arduous and prospects for advancement were slim, and took advantage of the better opportunities in the Mid-Atlantic colonies” (Brinkley,