Indentured Servitude and Bacon’s Rebellion
Need labor to grow tobaccoheadright system
Indentured servant- person who has contracts work with another in exchange
for travel expenses
-usually 4 to 7 year contract
-hard life, many did not live out there contract-disease, exhaustion
Who came? Mostly urban poor looking for opportunity
Huge advantage for planter-land and labor
1630-1680 about 75,000 arrive 5:1 males
Why not slaves?
1. English do not like slavery “Un-English”
2. Do not want to introduce strange people into strange land
3. Not economical, slaves were expensive, high death rate
There was a small trickle of slaves in Jamestown (1619) only about 1000 by
1650-mainly treated like indentured servants-could gain freedom
By 1670s more people live out their contract-land along the river is running
out-push west into frontierdangerous (Indians)
-tobacco price falls-less money
-now have people unsatisfied with freedom—send petition to Gov. Berkeley
to do something about the natives-he negotiates with them (fur trade makes
him money)
-this angers freedmen
Bacon’s Rebellion- (1676) Nathanial Bacon goes to Berkeley and volunteers
to start army to fight Indians-told no-does it anyway
-about 500 men (small planters, indentured servants)
-attacks tribes friendly to colony
-turns army on Jamestown and burns much of city
- dies soon after and rebellion falls apart
Effects- Do not rely on work force that expects freedom, especially if that
freedom does not live up to their expectations
As a result English turn to slavery based on race (Africans)
1. Fear of class warfare-creates equality among whites, always someone
lower than you.
2. Flow of indentured servants started to dry up-better wages in England
3. Mortality rate dropped made slavery more economical