Indentured Servants and Company Towns. Specifically, It Term Paper

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indentured servants and company towns. Specifically, it will research and discuss how sociological concepts apply to these topics. Sociologically, company towns and indentured servitude are two of the most complex topics of life in historic America. Indentured servants placed their trust in others to eventually gain their freedom and a better life, while company towns existed to better the company, rather than the residents. These two forms of controlled labor created new classes in America, and, sociologically, say much about a people who can keep others in bondage, no matter what the outcome.

Indentured servants were an important part of Colonial America (and many other developing countries). Basically, most indentured servants came to the New World seeking a better life. Settlers in the new world encouraged indentured servants to come to America to help them work their lands. The servants would sign up to work for their American masters for a specific length of time (often seven years). Included in their indenture was the cost of their travel to America, which they had to work to pay off. If they successfully completed their indenture, they would receive land, or cash, or tools, or sometimes a combination of these things. As one historian notes, "Immigrants signed labor contracts (indentures) committing themselves to serve other persons for a term of years. In exchange, they had their transatlantic transportation expenses paid and were normally entitled to 'freedom dues' on the completion of their service" (Steinfeld 11). They would gain their freedom, too. This was a great incentive for many poor in Europe, who had little chance of advancement in their situations at home. In addition, many indentured servants were criminals working off their sentences, which added another dimension to the working class in America.

Clearly, employers took advantage of their indentured servants by contracting with them so long, and often working them incredibly hard each day of their indenture. In addition, the "master" "servant" relationship was not only clear socially, it was clear in law of the time. The master had the right to punish his servant for infractions, and masters could even resort to corporal punishment if they felt the need (Steinfeld 16). Sociologically, this created a vast difference between the social classes, and created barriers between classes that were difficult to surmount, even when indentured servants eventually gained their freedom.

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Indentured servants could be punished by beating or whipping if they ran away or did not obey their masters, and if female servants got pregnant, they would have the time they could not work during their pregnancy added on to their indenture. They had few rights in society, and there were numerous laws concerning their discipline and servitude. They were considered the lowest of classes, and although they added much to Colonial life, they were consistently subjugated and punished for the slightest infraction. As historian Steinfeld continues, "As late as 1793, it was still possible for Americans to understand the unfreedom of indentured servitude not as slavery but as some lesser form of unfreedom. In that year one court could still describe indentured servants as occupying 'a middle rank between slaves and freemen'" (Steinfeld 102). Thus, the division of labor between groups and economic classes was established early in the New World, and it would continue to build on itself until in culminated in the Civil War. The main items separating servants during this time were freedom and race. Most slaves were black, and had no hope of freedom unless they escaped their masters. Most indentured servants were white, and did hang on to the hope of freedom someday.

The social benefits of indentured servitude were many. Freedmen often became successful and accepted members of the community, and added economically and socially to their areas. In addition, indentured servants provided much of the agricultural labor in the colonies, creating viable economic benefit to their masters and their communities.

It is interesting to note that by the early 1800s, indentured servitude had all but disappeared in America. Like indentured servants, company towns served a similar purpose later in American history. These company….....

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