During the early years, when the colonies were fresh and new, there was .
a necessitate for people to do the labor required to make the colonies function .
and flourish. This lead to a scarcity to labor in the English colonies, which lead .
to the exercise of "unfree" labor. In the start of the labor shortage, indentured .
servitude was popular, then later on slavery became more vastly popular.
Labor was necessary for various aspects of the lives of the colonists. In .
the southern colonies a great deal of labor was needed for the harvesting of .
tobacco. The first colonists to come over to the Americas contracted to seven .
years of labor and in return, they would receive a share of the profit. When their .
contracts expired, there was scarcely any profit. Seeing as no one was attracted .
to coming over, the London Company stated a "dividend" of the land to those .
who were still animate. Each colonist received 100 acres. The London Company .
began to rely on these grants to aid their labor and capital deficiency.
This all lead to the headright system, which went on to lead to the .
indentured servant system. This system was established to bring together the .
colonist who desired more land and labor, and people who wanted to get to .
America. The way this system worked was, that in return for being transported .
over to America, the servant agreed to work for a declared amount of time for .
their master.
Indentured servants did not have complete political and civil rights. .
Basically, their master could discipline them however they wanted. Whether it be .
verbally or physically. The masters could ill-treat their servants to keep them in .
line. Though, servants could sue for the abuse.
The indentured servants became free when they finished their years of .
work. After their years are complete, they are free. Over half of the white settlers .
of the southern colonies were indentured servants. The bulk of the servants .
became landowners themselves.
