Indentured Servitude in the early 1600’s
In reading the primary source written by Richard Frethorne, from the early 1600’s, I learned that life as an indentured servant was nothing as it was made out to be, physically harder on a person in the new world and often took people’s lives before the 5 years of servitude was up.
Richard Frethorne, an indentured servant sent from England to Jamestown, wrote several letters to his parents requesting their assistance to rescue him or to send him food, objects and clothing to use for him and to barter for trade. Frethorne goes into the details of his despair in his letters to his parents, including what he and his people are facing.
Frethorne talked about the plantation he is on and their lack of food. He complains to his father that he only has about a fourth of food compared to what he was used to getting at home. People are starving to death from the lack of food or that they are weakened due to the lack of food which causes them to be more susceptible to disease and illness.
Disease or illness spread through the plantation like wild flies during this time in the new colonies. Frethorne wrote “…that I yor Child am in a most heavie Case by reason of the nature of the Country is such that it Causeth much sicknes, as the scurvie and the bloody flix, and divers others diseases, wch maketh the bodie very poore, and Weake…”. Scurvy is a disease that affects the blood vessels, skin, and the body’s healing process, resulting in anemia, hemorrhaging of the skin, and gum disease (gingivitis) and is caused by the lack of vitamin C. Vitamin C is found in many different types of vegetables and fruits. This is just one example of their lack of food. A bloody flix is commonly known as Dysentery. Dysentery is caused by poor sanitation and/or contaminated water or food. It caused diarrhea and vomiting that would not allow the person to keep down any nutrients they needed to survive. Because of the poor sanitation of this time...