Question

Many standard contracts of an indentured servant failed to mention the servant’s wages. Why?

1.Indentured servants received a percentage of the master’s profits as set by colonial law.
2.Indentured servants did not collect any wages until they had worked four years.
3.Indentured servants were working for their master to pay off the cost of ocean passage to America.
4.Indentured servants paid their employers in order to remain in the colonies.

Answer 1

Indentured servants' contracts often did not mention wages because they were working to repay the cost of ocean passage, and instead of wages, they received necessities and sometimes a lump sum or goods at the end of their service. Hence, the correct answer is option 3.

Step-by-step explanation:

Many standard contracts of an indentured servant failed to mention the servant’s wages because indentured servants were working for their master to pay off the cost of ocean passage to America. These individuals did not usually receive a salary but may have received a lump sum payment or “freedom dues” upon completion of the agreed upon service.

The investment in an indentured servant was significant, and in lieu of wages, they were provided with necessities such as lodging, food, and sometimes clothing. At the end of their service, some were also given land, supplies, tools, and livestock to begin their lives as free colonists. This arrangement provided the indentured servant with valuable skills and potentially the means to start their own farm or business, thereby contributing to the colony's labor force.