Letter from Elizabeth Sprigs to Her Father

A Student’s Guide to Essential Primary Sources
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Letter from Elizabeth Sprigsto Her Father
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Abstract

Indentured servitude, in which a person agrees to work for a specified number of years in exchange for transportation to the American colonies, was used as a way to import labor and boost the population in the English settlements of North America. Following the creation of the settlement at Jamestown, the practice of indentured servitude became increasingly popular in the Chesapeake region. Typically, indentured servants would work for about five years in exchange for their passage, lodging, board, and eventual freedom. Depending on the colony, indentured servants were protected by a series of laws, particularly in Virginia, that regulated the treatment of servants.

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