Indentured Servants In Early America

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Before colonization, Native societies heavily relied on agriculture to sustain their societies. Both men and women were integral to the process of gathering food with men primarily hunting and women primarily planting, harvesting, and preparing food. In addition to their role in agriculture, women also had the typical domestic roles of caring for children. The Crash Course #1: The Black Death, Native Americans, and Spaniards describes how Natives relied on the natural resources around them for food. For example, Natives on the West Coast primarily relied on fishing and Plains Natives relied on hunting buffalo. As for social classes, Native women had authority, particularly the ability to be religious leaders and own property. This contrasts …show more content…
Some were taught how to read and write, others were given food or clothing items. This contributed to how these women went about their lives. Education as a servant was hard to come by, but this opened up new opportunities for these women. According to Benjamin Rush, Thoughts Upon Female Education, women in early America should be educated not to pursue a future, but to spread education amongst their children. While this concept was strictly for a man’s approval, the idea created opportunities for women in America. Regardless of the implementation of the concept, allowing women to gain an education made an impact. The masters of poor indentured servants had to take it upon themselves to educate the young women. The liberation of indentured servants also created more opportunities for women regarding education. According to Liberating Indentured Servants, the liberation led to more equality in America. Along with this, it led to the decline of indentured servitude, granting freedom to servants and allowing women to use their education to the best of their …show more content…
Women made this journey with their children as well, risking their lives in the hope that they would be purchased after their arrival. The terrible conditions on the ships and mistreatment by the crew created less hope for the servants overseas. The colonies have relied on slave labor since their inception. Slaves were forcibly taken from across Africa and loaded onto slave ships, crossing the Atlantic Ocean on the Middle Passage. According to The Slave Ship, approximately 12.4 million slaves were forced to undertake the Middle Passage, many of whom did not survive. The entire process claimed the lives of an estimated 5 million people. If one was able to survive the voyage, they would be met with a lifetime of grueling labor. Enslavement was a common practice across the nation, especially in the South where many worked on plantations. As seen in the image, many slaves performed farm labor such as planting, hoeing, or picking crops. This was especially challenging for women, many of whom were forced to have children while enslaved. Reproduction in Bondage describes how pregnant slaves were
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