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14-18 hours a day was the usual amount the convicts had to work a day

The above is an exaggeration. Convicts did not have to work such long hours except in harsher colonies such as Port Arthur, Tasmania. The average would have been between ten and twelve hours a day. It also would have depended on whether the convict was assigned to a free settler, or whether he worked on the road gangs or other tasks.

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Did the first fleet convicts find work in Australia?

The convicts of the First Fleet were very quickly set to work tilling the soil and getting the first crops started. (Admittedly, the convicts were very hard to motivate, being reluctant to work in the Australian heat and humidity.) They were also set construction projects, as there were no roads, bridges or buildings. Some convicts were assigned as servants or tradespeople to the free settlers who also came.


What did the first fleet convicts work as?

The convicts of the First Fleet did manual labour. They were put to work clearing trees, tilling the soil and getting the first crops started. The convicts were very hard to motivate, being reluctant to work in the Australian heat and humidity, and with tools that constantly broke, but they were expected to work hard. They were also set construction projects, as there were no roads, bridges or buildings. Some convicts were assigned as servants or tradespeople to the free settlers who also came.


What jobs did the First Fleet convicts have?

Upon their arrival in New South Wales, the convicts of the First Fleet were very quickly set to work clearing trees, tilling the soil and getting the first crops started. They were also set construction projects, as there were no roads, bridges or buildings. Some convicts were assigned as servants or tradespeople to the free settlers who also came.


Did the convicts on the First Fleet sleep?

they didnt sleep on anything they were put to work and wee kept below deck they probably slept on nothing..


Were the convicts on the First Fleet slaves?

Most certainly. The convicts of the First Fleet were very quickly set to work clearing trees, tilling the soil and getting the first crops started. The convicts were very hard to motivate, being reluctant to work in the Australian heat and humidity, and with tools that constantly broke, but they were expected to work hard. They were also set construction projects, as there were no roads, bridges or buildings. Some convicts were assigned as servants or tradespeople to the free settlers who also came.


What would the First Fleet convicts do if their tools broke?

Repair them. In the early years of Australian colonial settlement, the convicts were already reluctant to work. When their tools broke, they often simply refused to work, especially given the hot and humid conditions they were not used to. Because the British authorities ignored most of Captain's Phillip's very practical suggestions regarding the inclusion of tradesmen among the convicts of the First Fleet, most convicts lacked either the skills or the equipment for repairing their tools. So - they often simply downed tools.


What did the First Fleet convicts sleep on?

they didnt sleep on anything they were put to work and wee kept below deck they probably slept on nothing..


What happened to the first fleet convicts once they had settled in Australia?

After the First Fleet of convicts arrived in Australia, they were immediately set to work establishing buildings and roads necessary for the new colony. The convicts literally built the colony. They constructed the buildings, roads and bridges and quarried the stone for building as well as cutting down the trees. They established the first farms and crops, and tended the livestock. After a period of time, some of the more trustworthy convicts were offerd a ticket of leave, and then a free pardon. They were given a land grant which they could use for farming, or some set up a trade such as blacksmith.


What was the First Fleet sent to do in Australia?

The convicts of the First Fleet were very quickly set to work clearing trees, tilling the soil and getting the first crops started. The convicts were very hard to motivate, being reluctant to work in the Australian heat and humidity, and with tools that constantly broke, but they were expected to work hard. They were also set construction projects, as there were no roads, bridges or buildings. Some convicts were assigned as servants or tradespeople to the free settlers who also came.


How much room was there for the convicts of the first fleet to move around?

The convicts of the First Fleet, which arrived in Australia in 1788, were initially confined to a small area around Sydney Cove. Their living quarters were cramped, often consisting of simple tents or rudimentary huts, limiting their movement. As they settled in, some were assigned to work in various locations, providing them with a bit more freedom, but overall, their mobility remained restricted by colonial regulations and the need for labor.


What did the convicts do when the first fleet landed in Australia?

After the First Fleet arrived in Port Jackson, and the convicts disembarked, they were immediately set to work establishing buildings and roads necessary for the new colony. The convicts literally built the colony. They constructed the buildings, roads and bridges and cut and quarried the stone for building. They cut down the trees and used the wood for building. They cleared the land, established the first farms and crops, and tended the livestock. After a period of time, some of the more trustworthy convicts were offered a ticket of leave, then a conditional pardon, and finally a free pardon. They were given a land grant which they could use for farming, or some of them set up a trade such as blacksmith. They did not return to England.


What did convicts do in spare time?

The convicts did more work (for extra money if they were first class convicts), they hung out in their cells, got some more rest and much other stuff