Labor
Definition
Labor refers to the physical or mental effort exerted by individuals to produce goods and services. In the context of early English settlements like Jamestown, labor was essential for survival and economic development.
Analogy
Think of labor as the fuel that powers a car. Just like fuel is necessary for a car to move forward, labor is necessary for societies to progress and thrive.
Related terms
Indentured Servitude: A system where individuals would work under a contract for a specific period of time in exchange for passage to America or other benefits.
Slavery: The institution in which people are treated as property and forced to work without consent or pay.
Plantations: Large agricultural estates where crops were grown, often utilizing slave labor, particularly in the Southern colonies.
"Labor" appears in:
Practice Questions (5)
What form of labor primarily underpinned early English settlements such as Jamestown?
What type of labor did Southern colonies primarily rely on during period two?
What system did large-scale farmers use for labor on their plantations?
What was one key effect on labor from innovations in railroad technology during this period?
Which principle was consistently applied to labor during the Gilded Age despite socio-economic transformations?
Are you a college student?
Study guides for the entire semester
200k practice questions
Glossary of 50k key terms - memorize important vocab
Resources
© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.