Indentured Servants

Definition

Indentured servants were individuals who voluntarily agreed to work for a certain number of years in exchange for passage to the New World, or for food and shelter once they arrived.

Analogy

It's like signing up for a long-term internship where you're not paid with money but with experience and other benefits. However, conditions were often harsh and exploitative.

Related terms

Contract Labor: This is a form of employment where workers are hired on contracts basis. It's similar to indentured servitude as both involve an agreement between employer and employee about terms of work.

Serfdom: A status of peasants under feudalism, similar to indentured servitude but usually hereditary and without any contract involved.

Emancipation: The act of freeing someone from slavery or servitude. Many indentured servants looked forward to this after their period of service was over.