Indentured servant, in the American Colonies, was someone who worked without wages for a period of time in exchange for passage to America. The term most commonly refers to Europeans who signed a contract to work a term of years, usually four to seven, in return for payment of their voyage, food, clothing, and shelter. The contract was called an indenture. Most indentured servants were young men between the ages of 15 and 25 looking for jobs and a better life. Some debtors and convicts were also sent to the colonies as indentured servants.
The system of indenturing servants started during the 1600’s to provide cheap labor for the colonies. Over half of all immigrants to the colonies after the 1630’s came as indentured servants. By the early 1700’s, black slaves had become the main labor source for the southernmost colonies—Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. There were indentured servants until the early 1800’s. But by then, they were no longer a major part of the U.S. labor force.
See also African Americans (Colonial times) ; Colonial life in America (The lower class) .
