Indentured Servitude

         In my opinion indentured servitude is not fair. It can be unfair to people because no matter when they started they are free when they turn 21. The indentured servants weren’t always treated fairly. Some kids were kidnapped and forced into indentured servitude. Although some kids agreed to it, they didn’t know the conditions they would be working in.

        This system wasn’t fair to the younger children. Older children worked for fewer years than younger children. In the article “Bound For a New Life”,  Robert worked for nine years. While Sarah only worked for seven years. Robert came over when he was 12 and Sarah came over when she was 14. At age 21 both Robert and Sarah became free.

         They were not treated fairly. The text stated that Sarah was beaten by her master’s wife. It said, “ His wife was a mean-spirited woman who beat me for the smallest mistake.” The article stated, “ My clothes became ragged; my belly was never full.” In the text, it said that Robert mostly ate corn gruel, peas, and a little bread. Robert also had to work all the time planting and weeding tobacco. 

       Some kids were kidnapped a forced into indentured servitude. There are a lot of orphans on the streets of London, Robert was one of them. In the text, it stated, “ One terrible night, two men grabbed me and told me I was going to Virginia, like it or not.” Other orphans were taken as well.

      However, some kids willingly signed up to go to America. In the article  Sarah was poor, one day a man asked her if she would like to go to America. She signed up for it but didn’t know what she was getting into. She worked in Virginia and was a servant. According to the article, it said, “ For seven years, I cleaned and cooked, washed and mended. I tended my master’s children and weeded his vegetable garden.” Sarah had to do everything perfectly because the master’s wife would beat her up for the smallest mistake. In the end, she was free! She was married to another indentured servant and had a farm outside of Jamestown.

      Based on the text, my opinion is that indentured servitude is not fair. The younger a child the more the work. They weren’t treated well. Some kids were kidnapped and others agreed to do it. Indentured servitude was not fair regardless if they agreed to it or not.

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