Consider the difficult work that Sarah and Robert had to do, as well as how many years they worked. Do you think that this is fair? Is indentured servitude fair, even if someone agrees to it? Why or why not?
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 for 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 7 years. Robert came over when he was 12 and Sarah came over when she was 14. Once they turned 21 they were free to go live their own life.
They were not treated fairly. According to the text, it 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 stated,” Many other servants died from heat and disease, but somehow I survived.” In paragraph 1 it said,’’ I worked from dawn to dark, planting and weeding tobacco.”
Some kids were kidnapped and forced into indentured servitude. Robert in this story was one of them. In paragraph 1 it stated,” One terrible night, two men grabbed me and told me I was going to Virginia, like it or not.” The men said to Robert,” The men said that children like me were a disgrace to London, that our city was too full of orphans, begging and stealing on the streets. Once the other man was done talking the other man said: “The other man explained that I would work in the tobacco fields or learn a trade.” Once we got to James town I started working for some years. Then once I turned 21 years old I was free to live my own life in Virginia.