Indentured servitude in colonial America

This blog article is about indentured servitude or the act of being an unpaid laborer for a certain number of years. They were called indentured servants.

Indentured servants worked on Tobacco plantation for 4-7 years. They came over to America, some were even kidnapped, but most of them were criminals who were trying to get out of jail time, very poor/in debt, or were escaping persecution. African American slaves started coming to Jamestown – only 12 years after it was founded. Indentured servitude lasted between the early 16^th century- through the end of the 17^th century. Many of the indentured servants- who were convicted- were convicted of Vagrancy- were unwanted in England. This is a form of discrimination.

Indentured servitude was deemed necessary by the need for cheap labor. They were granted free housing, food, passage, board, lodging and freedom dues. African Americans were originally viewed as indentured servants- but eventually became slaves. The reason the indentured servitude ended was because when indentured servants became free, they demanded land, and the landowners were threatened. Indentured servants became African slaves when the landowners couldn’t afford indentured servants anymore due to the high number of them. African slaves were a much more renewable and cheaper form of labor then Indentured servants. Many of the indentured servants ended up dying- due to diseases.

Citations:

“[Indentured Servants vs. Slaves in Jamestown, Virginia 1607-1619 Indentured Servitude versus Slavery

],” YouTube video, [9:54], uploaded by [Timeline], March 1, 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLgzFHz4SIY.

“Indentured Servants,” National Park Service, accessed July 8, 2025, https://www.nps.gov/hamp/learn/historyculture/indentured-servants.htm.

“Indentured Servants in Colonial Virginia,” Encyclopedia Virginia, accessed July 8, 2025, https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/indentured-servants-in-colonial-virginia/.

“Indentured Servants in the U.S.” 2025. History Detectives. PBS. Accessed July 8, 2025. https://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/indentured-servants-in-the-us/.