Indentured Servants Research Paper
Money and Power are the two main factors towards the transformation indentured servants to slaves in Early the United States. Slaves were cheaper and easier to “take care of” compared to having an indentured servant. The growth of agriculture at this time had a good deal of farmland/plantation owners wanting to become the best; The one that makes the most money or the one that has the most powers. From 1603 to 1740, within the time span of 137 years change has started laws being created, the labor forces started to shift and a rebellion was forming.
Within 1619, Jamestown, Virginia was getting itself started. They were negotiating with Natives, and working the fields to make a profit from whatever they were growing and built shelters for
themselves to become a promising community. In the year 1612, John Rolfe introduced a mild strain of tobacco to the people of Jamestown, which become popular because of the profit that came from this plant and was the best form of smoking. (Mizzou) The plants' demand was too much for the people of Jamestown to fulfill by themselves, the town itself didn't have enough workers to keep up with this labor-intensive plant. Therefore, they sought out indentured servants. Indentured servants had a choice to enter the United States if they worked for four to five years. Time went on, as it did the servant's terms extended to seven years of work. At the end of the servant's term, they would receive their freedom and a gift from their ‘owner'. The gifts consisted of clothes and tools and sometimes a small section of farmland.
Within 1619, Jamestown, Virginia was getting itself started. They were negotiating with Natives, and working the fields to make a profit from whatever they were growing and built shelters for
themselves to become a promising community. In the year 1612, John Rolfe introduced a mild strain of tobacco to the people of Jamestown, which become popular because of the profit that came from this plant and was the best form of smoking. (Mizzou) The plants' demand was too much for the people of Jamestown to fulfill by themselves, the town itself didn't have enough workers to keep up with this labor-intensive plant. Therefore, they sought out indentured servants. Indentured servants had a choice to enter the United States if they worked for four to five years. Time went on, as it did the servant's terms extended to seven years of work. At the end of the servant's term, they would receive their freedom and a gift from their ‘owner'. The gifts consisted of clothes and tools and sometimes a small section of farmland.