Final answer:
European indentured servants were provided lodging, food, transportation, and sometimes clothing in exchange for their work on plantations. Upon completing their service, they received 'freedom dues' that could include land, making it a possible route to a better life for poor Europeans.
Step-by-step explanation:
What Indentured Servants Received for Their Labor
European indentured servants who agreed to work on plantations were primarily poor individuals seeking a new life. They exchanged several years of labor for critical necessities such as lodging, food, transportation, or clothing. Many came under terms that lasted less than seven years, with the promise of 'freedom dues' at the end of their service, which could include provisions, tools, and sometimes land, enabling them to start their own lives in the colonies as free individuals.
Life as an indentured servant was challenging, with many facing harsh conditions, diseases, and possible extension of their servitude for crimes or disobedience. Despite these hardships, the opportunity to escape poverty in Europe and eventually acquire land and resources in the New World was a compelling incentive.
The gradual insufficiency of indentured servants for labor-intensive crops in the American South, coupled with the limitations imposed by diseases and the desire for a more permanent labor force, led to a shift towards African slaves. Nonetheless, for those who survived, indentured servitude provided a pathway to a relatively stable and independent life after they completed their contracts.