Meanwhile in the New World, the colonies were expanding and the labor demand versus supply was unmatched. The threat of the Native Americans, foreign colonies, and agricultural dependencies required a vast expendable human resource. Laborers and tradesman of all sorts were in high demand in the colonial times. Therefor the labor supply was in part fulfilled by voluntary indentured …show more content…
The voluntary servants were treated better than the involuntary servants, who often consisted of prisoners of war and criminals. Initially the servants came to the New World voluntarily, however, as the demand for labor increased, involuntary servants were sent overseas. There were issues with servants running away from their masters that resulted in harsh punishments. Some of the punishments were the cutting of an Achilles tendon, branding with an “R” and an extension of their servitude. The numbers of servants continued to rise in the early colonies. As the numbers continued to rise, the power and wealth of the white population grew while the ethical treatment of servants continued to