Indentured Servitude

2019liaLeave a comment

In my opinion indentured servitude is not fair. It is unfair to people because no matter when they started, they are free at 21. The indentured servants weren’t always treated fairly. Some kids were kidnaped and forced into indentured service. Although some kids agree to it they didn’t know the conditions they would be working in.

This system wasn’t fair to the younger children. Older children worked for fewer years than younger children. In the article “Bound For a New Life”, Robert worked for nine years while Sarah worked for seven. Robert came over when he was 12 and Sarah was 14 when she came over. At age 21 Robert ane Sarh became free.

They not treated fairly. In the text, it stated that Sarah was beaten by her master’s wife. It said,” His wife was a mean-spirited woman who beat me for the smallest mistake.  The article stated,” My clothes became ragged; my belly was never full.“ It also stated,” I existed mostly on corn gruel, peas, and a little bread.” In paragraph nine it said,” I had signed up for a chance to work my fingers to the bone in Jamestown.”

Some kids were kidnapped and forced into indentured servitude. Robert from the story was kidnapped. He was going to go to Virginia. In paragraph one it said,”. One

terrible night, two men grabbed me and told me I was going to Virginia, like it or not.“ It also said,” The men said that children like me were a disgrace.”

However, some kids willingly signed up to go to Jamestown. Sarah from the article also lived in London. She came from a poor family and a man offered her a chance to live in America. In paragraph seven it stated, “America is the land of opportunity for a poor girl like you,” he claimed.“  she cooked washed and mended. She would get beat up by the master’s wife. The article stated,¨His wife was a mean-spirited woman who beat me for the smallest mistake.¨ she worked really hard as well. 

Based on the text, my opinion is that indentured servitude is not fair. The younger the child were the longer they had to work.  They weren´t treated well. Some kids were kidnapped and others agreed to do it. indentured servitude was not fair regardless if they agreed to it or not.