The Birth of Black America - Essay Example

The colony of Virginia in 1660s was marred with inhumane handling of workers who were hired in the plantations farm. Many crossed over from United Kingdom which was then experiencing economic downturn into United States as they were told of good offers across the Atlantic. The narration in the United Kingdom of good life and an opportunity to make money was not the exact same picture on the ground. Many left their families in hope of better life but few months later they wrote letters back complaining on the unbearable living condition and mistreatment. Indentured servitude was the mode of employment then both in the British and in America. At that period Virginia was operating under head right system. It dawn to leaders of that time that for economy to grow there is need for labor and with that in mind the government of the day provided incentives to farmers to import workers. Masters were rewarded up to 50 acres of land for bringing labor across the Atlantic (Gray, Colonial America, p. 118). The system was being used by the plantation owners to increase their land and in addition to that received service of the workers. The system as it appears at first seems to benefit both the master and the servant because the servants were paid for fare across the Atlantic. Employment was on contact basis and on termination the servant were paid bonus, or other goodies like lands clothes or food. To the English poor it seems like lucrative offers abroad and this possibly lured Johanna smith. Many were lured out of unite kingdom with promises of land ownerships and prosperity but the reality on the ground was different.Upon arrived the condition at the ground was difficult and this made it difficult for many of them to live to complete 4-7 years of service (Gray, Colonial America, p. 118). The mortality rate was high in Virginia due to lack of food and diseases. Many wrote back to their families back in United Kingdom on their state of misery. Despite the poor state of living the masters wanted to diligently use them to maximize their returns, the servants interest were only expanding their investment while cutting cost to the possible minimum. In the first year of service the labor was required to pay back for the master’s investment and in subsequent years to make it profitable, these conditions worsen the condition because they were under immense pressure from the masters to pay back the investment within the short period of one year. Many didn’t want to extend the terms of their contract they wanted freedom and the payment of freedom dues, which could include a piece of land, a weapon, and a new suit of clothes (Gray, Colonial America, p. 119). Indentured Servants Indentured servitude was the institutional arrangement devised to increase labor mobility from Europe (particularly England) to America, and it was the labor system that preceded American slavery, it was a labor system whereby young people paid for their passage to the New World by working for an employer for a certain number of years. While Johanna and others cross over the Atlantic in hope of better life and better working condition in the colony of Virginia that notion proved untrue because the situation on the ground was complete opposite of that. And exactly like Johanna smith wrote in the letter the condition was unbearable and many didn’t complete their contracts. Less than half of the indented servants lived to finish their terms as stipulated in the contract. The masters mistreated their female servants and in case of pregnancy their term were extended in service. These terms of contract were harsh and unbearable and many breach the term of contract and end up paying for this penalties frustrating them further. The term of the contracts were meant to only benefit the owners of plantation and servants interest was least considered by the stipulation of the contracts. Upon arrival from United Kingdom servants were to work for sometime even up to 7 years in reward for a room, lodging and bonuses upon completion. Life wasn’t slavery but restricted and harsh. It was harsh because one did several labors like Johanna tented family garden while at the same time being vigilant of other labors. There were even laws to protect their rights and this distinguishes servitude from slavery. Life was not easy, it was bitter and harsh and punishment on the servants was tougher and harsher than on the non servants (Tim, The Birth of Black America, p.79). Punishment could take the form of extension of contracts especially if servants intend to run away or in case of women servants becoming pregnant. Servants were denied all freedoms and they had no option but to be contended with what were already in place because the laws of that time were in favor of that. Indentured servants rights were limited and they were not allowed to vote. Like Johanna smith explained that life was becoming unbearable even communicating with her relatives was not allowed and her letters didn’t reach her relatives. She neither received from them. They were not allowed to marry but only on permission from their servants. They were not allowed to buy or sell anything or to leave their houses to travel. Many were raped without any legal consequences. Beatings were brutal and many sustained injuries for reasons that were not punishable. The brutality was daily norm and the punishment compared with the fault committed was way much not proportional. The punishment was in a way directed towards intimidating the workers so that they might work unconditionally without questioning their master’s deeds. The white indentured servants find themselves in lots of trouble because they were preferred as housekeepers finding themselves in trouble with the families of masters. Like Johanna case it was a common practice for planter’s families to hire white indentured female servants to be housekeepers. Those who didn’t have housekeepers used white nurses to milk and take care of their children. The relationship that existed between female servants and their masters was rarely cordial and one of them often had to terminate the good relationship that exists. In the slavery filled south the domestic chores scared away the white indented servants (Tim, The Birth of Black America, p.78). Mistakes were punishable with tougher and stricter penalties that worsen the already in place working condition and terms of contract agreement. In the same Virginia women who bore children with their masters were punished with extension of their terms by 2 years having to work with the church wardens for these two years upon completion of master’s terms. To add to their miseries and woes the indented servants often had to work in isolated farms adding to their loneliness and separation from distant relatives. Majority of the work were related to fieldwork and with such a situation, social isolation breed the grounds for abuse. Later the Virginia planters transformed from being indentured servitude to chattel slavery before the eve of 17th century as a result of booming economy in Europe that could not get enough indentures (Tim, The Birth of Black America, p.78). However many became slaves for the rest of their life’s and not just term stipulated in their contact because the laws were passed that children born of slave women were slave too and this enable the Virginia planters to breed their labor force. Later when African slaves emerged they were preferred over the indented servants because they were owned for the rest of their lives and were not to work on contract that led to freedom dues. Indented servants upon completion of their contract were given lands, guns and other goodies and this led to their disapproved and approval of African slaves who did not have to be paid later upon completion of term of service. References Gray, E. G. (2003). Colonial America: A history in documents. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Hashaw, Tim (2007). The Birth of Black America. New York: Carroll & Graf Publishers. pp. 76– 77, 211–212, 239–240 Read More