What_is_Indentured

                  Here is a historical fact from real history in the America.
One half to two thirds of all immigrants to colonial America arrived as indentured
servants, or they were sentenced to it by local magistrates at some time or the other in their life. At times, as many as 75% of the populations of some colonies were under terms of indenture. Even on the frontier, according to the 1790 U.S. census.
         Though this is something rarely if ever depected in movies and such.

Citizens of the colonies deal with indenture on a daily basis. We hope this document clarifies the back ground about working beside, owning or haveing been and endentured servant, to allow more well informed role play.

This is a labor system, not a system of apprenticeship. The historic basis for indenture grew out of European agricultural servitude and began because of labor shortages in Europe and in the colonies. It developed when Europe had a great number of people being displaced from farming due to revolutions in Europe. This led to an early growth of the indentured labor system.

The importation of white servants under contracts known as indentures proved more profitable as a short term labor source than enslaving Indians or using free laborers. Due to the length of time to travel from Europe and transport the indentured, slave runners have been providing slaves on the open market since the colonies first started appearing. Where ever you find slavery you will most certainly find indentured servants.

Labor intensive crops, such as tobacco, cotton, and grains required a large work force. The earliest indentured servants were farm laborers. The importance of indenture can be seen right here in New Orleans, Louisiana, where the colony offers a headright, a grant of 50 acres per indentured servant, as an incentive to plantation owners to import more servants from Europe and/or accept more of them from our own local court appointments. The headright became the property of the owner not the servant.

In practice a servant sells his services to the ships Captain before leaving Europe to secure passage upon his ship. In turn the indentured contract is sold at auction or private sale upon reaching the colonies to recover the costs of passage for the Captain. The passage in steerage is quite grim. An example of the servants treatment is now offered for your better understanding. One indentured servant, Thomas Morally, was given three biscuits a day to eat, and each mess of five men were given three pints of drinking water per day to be shared.

Criminals convicted of a capital crime in Europe or North American territories would be transported to the southern colonies ( for the theft of an item with a worth as little as one shilling). Indentured servitude could also result from indebtedness, where a person, their spouse, parents, younger siblings, or children owed money they could not pay back. The person was sold into indentured servitude to recover the debt.   In other cases, parishes indenture orphans coming of age to keep them off the poor roles. Pluse the poor and distitute sometimes sell themselves into indentured servitude just to survive.   The length of indenture varies, it can be as little as three years or as long as seven. ( there have been exceptions to this rule but that is rare)   During the term of indenture the servant is required by law to be given lodging that will protect them from the forces of nature, no less than two meals per day, and minimal clothing suited to the season of year.
Nothing else is required by law, and if a servant is fortunate enough to be sold to someone who treats them better they are indeed lucky and they know it.

The treatment of the indentured servant lies in the hands of their contract holders for the most part, who is their Master/ Mistress or owner for the duration of the contract term. The courts offer them little protection if any, seeing them for the duration of the contract no much better than a common out right slave. They are not allowed to get married, vote, or leave the grounds of their owners property, infact they can not travel or buy and sell goods with out being in the company of their owner or having parchment stating permission has been given from them.   Servants were often time whipped or beat if they talked back or failed to perform a task given to them, more sever offenses were handled accordingly. Though some owners were simply just cruel and use such brutal and harsh discipline techniques as were used in the inquisition in Europe. Indentured women are more often than not used for the sexual gratification of their owners, often times being raped, with no repercussions from local authorities.   Though most were ill treated a few were fortunate enough to be purchased by compassionate, kind, owners and actually lived as members of the family, or at least had the same quality of life as the hired help.

In most cases the work of the indentured servant is household or agriculturally related, unskilled labor.   There is a high demand for skilled craftsman, and those experienced in business and the handling of underlings. If an indentured servant has skills that are in demand, like weaving, smithing, carpentry, sewing, reading and writing, then the chance of negotiating a shortening of their contract once purchased is quite good.

In theory the indentured servant is only selling his or her labor. In practice, however indentured servants are basically slaves and the courts inforce the laws that make it so. The treatment of the servant is just as harsh and brutal as the owners out right slaves. In fact, the Louisiana laws, prescribe "bodily punishment for not heeding the commands of their Master/Mistress (aka contract holder)". Half the servants die in the first two years. As a result of this type of treatment, run aways are frequent. The courts realize this is a growing problem and it is now mandatory that everyone carry identification and travel papers at all times.

If an indentured servant works the full term of their contract, the receive freedom dues, which are based on Hebrew law in the Old Testament.(Deut. 15:12-15) Here in New Orleans it is required by law that the owner ( contract holder) provide clothing, a gun ( without ammunition) and a small parcel of land to those who manage to survive and serve out their term of indenture. Because being indentured is such a common thing, having been so has no effect on your social standing or acceptance back into the free population once you gain your freedom again.

Everyone of us will interact with indentured servants on a daily basis.   A fairly large nunber of us will have been indentured ourselves at one time or another, and others will have moved on to have indentured servants of their own.   The following is a common belief: " Our principal wealth, consisteth of indentured servants and slaves."

It is our hope that this will help those desiring to role play in our room by offering information they can use to form the personalities of their characters and/or mold the path of their role play. We thank you for taking the time to read this and look forward to role playing with you.    Madame Rose

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