Religion had a big affect on the English people’s decision to immigrate as well. In England, every religion had to acknowledge Queen Elizabeth’s authority as head of the Church of England. That was the only way she would tolerate all of these diverse religions. Henry VIII didn’t agree with this idea, and he wanted a church that had no “political interference” (Norton 42). All of these issues led people to live better lives, or so they thought, and colonize themselves so they can soothe the “surplus population, thus easing strains at home” (Norton 41).
After some people left to improve their lives in a new country, old problems settled down, and new ones started. The dichotomy between the rich and poor began with the sheep growing for profits. Landlords realized that they made a bigger profit when they sold wool, so in order to maintain the sheep’s, many of people had to be dismissed. These people became homeless which “filled the streets with vagrants poor and from the reign of Elizabeth on, laws were passed to punish them, imprison them in workhouses or exile them” (Zinn 42). These people were sent off to the Americas in small ships, in which many people died before reaching their destination.
Power was measured by how much land and servants a person had in America. In order to have prosperous farming, these people needed slaves to help out with the work. That is when the indentured servants came in. Some people thought life in the Americas would be better than the lives they had in England. These people, also known as indentured servants, sold themselves in order to come to the Americas. Farmers paid off their voyage in return for the servants work for the next four to seven years. Farmers believed that “good management would make the process [tobacco farming] self-perpetuating” (Norton 46B). These indentured servants took up 75-85 percent of the population. However, these “immigrants” lived miserable lives. They worked 6 days out of the week, for ten to fourteen hours a day in a temperature slightly warmer than that of England (Norton 47).
I believe that the situation for indentured servants in Chesapeake was characterized more by continuity because the people carried on beliefs and traditions from England. The servants were the people who had low economic standings in England, and they continued to be servants in Chesapeake. They weren’t treated any differently by their new masters. They were severely beaten, raped, etc…There was still a big diversity between the rich and the poor. The higher class would always be more powerful and controlling towards the lower class. In England, the indentured servants worked for the wool farms, which produced wool. In Chesapeake, the indentured servants worked in a tobacco farm, which produced tobacco. The servants always helped towards creating a better economy in both countries.
Change was also evident in the new lives of the indentured servants. Once their four to seven years of enslavement to their owners was over, “their opportunities for advancement were real” (Norton 47A). These servants were given the opportunity for advancement in this country. However, during the working process they would get serious illnesses that prevented them from living long lives; one of these illnesses being malaria. Around 40 percent of the male servants did not survive long enough to become freed men (Norton 47). Those that didn’t suffer any chronicle illness would live successful lives, in which they can even assume position in political prominence. Some indentured servants fought against their masters in court if they were being inhumane. In some cases, the servants won and were moved to another master. However, in the late 1600’s Maryland dropped the legal requirement that the servants earn any land, making the freed servants live for years as wage laborers or tenant farmers (Norton 47).
Change and continuity are big factors in the lives of the indentured servants. Change does occur but not enough to make a big difference in many of the indentured servant’s lives. The chances of actually being prosperous were very slim. They still continued to be low class, and hard working people. Overall, continuity plays a bigger role in the lives of these poor servants, who just needed the money to “better” their lives in their near future.
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