Indentured labor was a form of labor in which people worked without wages in exchange for passage to another country or location. Workers entered into indentures (contracts) to serve an employer for a certain number of years. In return, the workers received transportation and legal entry, as well as food, shelter, and other assistance. People who worked under indentures were sometimes called indentured servants and often were regarded as unfree workers.
Most indentures lasted from four to seven years. During this period, employers had control over the laborers and could sell or trade the laborers’ contracts as property. At the end of the period, the laborers were freed. Some employers gave the newly freed laborers freedom dues—that is, payment in the form of land, clothing, or other supplies. Many laborers remained in the countries where they worked and became independent members of society. Others returned to their home countries.
Numerous countries relied on indentured labor between the 1600’s and 1900’s. The first indentured laborers came from England, Scotland, and Wales to the American Colonies. Additional laborers came from Ireland and Germany in the 1700’s. During the 1800’s, large numbers of laborers came from India, China, and Japan. Many entered into indentures to work in Australia, Fiji, Malaysia, Peru, and the West Indies, often in the production of cane sugar. Indentured labor has been illegal in most countries since the late 1800’s or early 1900’s.
