USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Indentured servants were persons obliged by contract to work for a stated number of years. During the early settlement of Maryland, many newcomers were indentured servants who wanted to immigrate to the colony, but could not pay for passage.

Detailed explanation-2: -Indentured servants were not paid wages but they were generally housed, clothed, and fed. The rights to the individual’s labor could be bought and sold, but the servants themselves were not considered property and were free upon the end of their indenture (usually a period of five to seven years).

Detailed explanation-3: -Maryland’s first labourers were indentured servants. Slaves began to be introduced into the Chesapeake region in small numbers after 1650, and large numbers were imported in the 1690s.

Detailed explanation-4: -All indentures were bought for only a limited time. Non-convict servants served terms of 4 to 6 years, while convicts had to serve at least 7 years. Those working within their contract found living conditions very similar to their enslaved counterparts, such as their less than substantial food and clothing provisions.