Indentured Servants During The 1800's

Women who came as indentured servants were usually teenagers. Their lives were similar to a slave however the servant’s service came to an end. They had to obey their owners, and had harsh living conditions. They were treated harshly, received poor quality food, and were separated from their family. In Americans Working Women, it tells us that the indentured servants resisted in the quote “indentured servants had one primary path of resistance open to them: passive resistance, trying to do as little work as possible and to create difficulties for their masters and mistresses.” The servants also were vulnerable to sexual exploitation. Women were held to a high moral standard in that only 40% of women were educated. The ones who were educated had writings in which they spoke freely about wanting more opportunities. An example of this is that Abigail Adams before the Declaration of independence was written “... in the new code of laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make, I desire you would remember the ladies, and be more generous to them than your ancestor.” …show more content…
Through Howard Zinn, I learned during the 1800s, women didn’t experience the freedom that girls today have. Women during the 1800, of all races and social status faced some sort of discrimination. Through my interviews, I learnt that both of my subjects didn’t feel that they faced discrimination, oppression, or unfair treatment because of their gender. The thing that surprised me the most is that both of my subjects felt that they received a lot of freedom growing up, and that surprises me because both of my subjects are Muslims from India and Pakistan. Today, a lot of people view Muslim women as oppressed therefore I was shocked to hear both my subjects say that they didn’t have a single moment in their life where they felt that they experienced unfair opportunities because they were