On Tue, 20 Sep 2022 17:34:09 -0000 (UTC), Retrograde <
fungus@amongus.com.invalid> wrote:
Title: More US Employers Are Trapping Workers in a New Form of Indentured
North America
Until the late 18th century, indentured servitude was common in
British America. It was often a way for Europeans to migrate to the
American colonies: they signed an indenture in return for a costly
passage. However, the system was also used to exploit Asians (mostly
from India and China) who wanted to migrate to the New World. These
Asian people were used mainly to construct roads and railway systems.
After their indenture expired, the immigrants were free to work for
themselves or another employer. At least one economist has suggested
that indentured servitude occurred largely as "an institutional
response to a capital market imperfection".[1] In some cases, the
indenture was made with a ship's master, who sold the indenture to an
employer in the colonies. Most indentured servants worked as farm
laborers or domestic servants, although some were apprenticed to
craftsmen.
The terms of an indenture were not always enforced by American courts,
although runaways were usually sought out and returned to their
employer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indentured_servitude
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