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For many British citizens, especially those living in poverty, the "New World" seemed like a place of opportunity. By being willing to apprentice themselves, they could get free passage to America and learn a new trade. The promise of being an indentured servant was that after you spent the agreed-upon time serving your master, he would set you free to start a new life with the new trade you had learned. It was a nice theory, and for a few people, it did work out and they were able to open their own shop or start their own business in the New World. But for others, the promise did not get fulfilled: they found themselves working for dishonest or unscrupulous people and were not able to earn the right to start a new life after all.

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10y ago
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11y ago

Work was hard to come by in England, while there was plenty of work in the colonies

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8y ago

Becoming an indentured servant was one way to finance travel to North America. Once out of their indentures, a better life was more achievable.

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Q: Why were indentured servants moving to the British colonies in North America?
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Continue Learning about General History

The great majority of those arriving in Virginia between 1630 and 1700 were?

The Chesapeake region of the United States became the colony of Maryland. It was primarily settled by European Catholics who came to America in an attempt to flee religious persecution in England.


What is the definition of lord dunmore's decree?

The emancipation of slaves or indentured servants who joined the British army.


What country is the surname Boodhoo from?

The surname is from India. Immigration to British colonies as indentured servants brought families to the New World. The Boodhoo surname is found in Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States and the West Indies.


Why did the middle colonies have indentured servants?

When America was still a British colony, there was a great need for workers, to help with the farms and plantations. While the southern part of the country would soon become known for using African slaves, in those early years of Colonial America, there were a large number of "indentured servants": these were young men and women from poor parts of Europe (mostly from England and Germany) who wanted to start a new (and what they hoped would be better) life in the New World. They had no money to pay for passage to America, so they indentured themselves: that is, they agreed to hire themselves out as servants to wealthy landowners in America, in exchange for passage to this country, food, clothing, and the possibility of learning some new skills. Indentured servants worked for a period of three to seven years, at which time they had (theoretically) worked off their debt and could be free to live an independent life. Unfortunately, not all of them got the new life they had hoped for, as not every landowner was a compassionate or ethical boss. Many of the European immigrants found their time in America to be quite a disappointment. On the other hand, some did manage to repay their debt and become independent farmers or tradesmen.


Why did the british colonists in the Caribbean turn to African slaves as a source of labor?

The colonists originally used indentured servants, people who had a landowner pay for their passage to America in exchange for the poor to work on the rich person's land for a certain number of years. However, indentured servants couldn't be sold and bought, and they were eventually granted land and set free. The number of indentured servants coming from Europe started to decrease over the years, and the amount of labor started to increase. With nothing else to do, the British carted African slaves to be used as a labor source, even though slaves were more expensive.

Related questions

What were the stereotypes that the English had about the American colonies?

The British thought of the American colonies lower than pesants. They saw them more as indentured servants.


What hardships did the british have coming to America?

# diseases # source of labor # what would bring money in America # relations with the local Indians # indentured servants


What led to slavery in the British colonies?

Slavery in the British colonies was primarily driven by economic factors, as the demand for labor in industries like sugar, tobacco, and cotton far exceeded the available workforce. The transatlantic slave trade provided a constant supply of enslaved Africans to meet this demand, and the legal system in the colonies supported and maintained the institution of slavery. Colonial powers also used racial stereotypes and prejudices to justify the enslavement of Africans.


Which ships transported indentured servants from India to British Guiana?

Elbe and Rhone


The great majority of those arriving in Virginia between 1630 and 1700 were?

The Chesapeake region of the United States became the colony of Maryland. It was primarily settled by European Catholics who came to America in an attempt to flee religious persecution in England.


What is the definition of lord dunmore's decree?

The emancipation of slaves or indentured servants who joined the British army.


What country is the surname Boodhoo from?

The surname is from India. Immigration to British colonies as indentured servants brought families to the New World. The Boodhoo surname is found in Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States and the West Indies.


How did indentured servitude and slavery arise in North America?

Indentured servitude and slavery arose in North America by the colonies/ colonists needed another source of labor since most Native Americans became sick and as a result died because they weren't immune to the diseases that the Europeans brought with them to America. The colonists, especially Spanish priest Bartolome de Las Casas came up with an idea of enslaving/ capturing Africans to America to do the work because they had an immunity to the British diseases. Over colonial time, the demands for slaves increased. Since their was very high death rates, which led to labor shortages, the colonists began using indentured servants [were servants that signed a contract to work for four to seven years for those who paid for their journey to America]. That is how indentured servitude and slavery arose in North America.


Why the asians came to the Caribbean?

The Indians from India, were bought over by the British as indentured servants. The Chinese were there to establish businesses.


Why did the middle colonies have indentured servants?

When America was still a British colony, there was a great need for workers, to help with the farms and plantations. While the southern part of the country would soon become known for using African slaves, in those early years of Colonial America, there were a large number of "indentured servants": these were young men and women from poor parts of Europe (mostly from England and Germany) who wanted to start a new (and what they hoped would be better) life in the New World. They had no money to pay for passage to America, so they indentured themselves: that is, they agreed to hire themselves out as servants to wealthy landowners in America, in exchange for passage to this country, food, clothing, and the possibility of learning some new skills. Indentured servants worked for a period of three to seven years, at which time they had (theoretically) worked off their debt and could be free to live an independent life. Unfortunately, not all of them got the new life they had hoped for, as not every landowner was a compassionate or ethical boss. Many of the European immigrants found their time in America to be quite a disappointment. On the other hand, some did manage to repay their debt and become independent farmers or tradesmen.


Why did the british colonists in the Caribbean turn to African slaves as a source of labor?

The colonists originally used indentured servants, people who had a landowner pay for their passage to America in exchange for the poor to work on the rich person's land for a certain number of years. However, indentured servants couldn't be sold and bought, and they were eventually granted land and set free. The number of indentured servants coming from Europe started to decrease over the years, and the amount of labor started to increase. With nothing else to do, the British carted African slaves to be used as a labor source, even though slaves were more expensive.


How did slavery changed over time in Colonial America?

There were very few slaves during the colonial period in British North America. Indentured servants, on the other hand, were much more common. The employers that indentured servants worked for grew financially stable, and they increased the price of labor over time, which made it difficult for servants to pay off their debt. Slavery became favored for the potential financial increases slaves produced through hard labor work. Eventually, though, the north and south states developed opposite opinions on the necessity of slaves.