Colonization Of America
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In the time of the colonization of America many people that that America represented a “land of opportunity.” This would turn out to be true for some of the settlers, but others however, found this opportunity difficult to attain.
“Poor people of all kinds can here get three times wages their labor they can in England.”(doc. 2) Many people came to America looking for a higher wage then they could earn back home in, not only England, but in parts of Europe too. In America there was land to be bought and turn into farms, which could turn out a surplus of crops to sell. There were forests to be turned into ships, houses, and furniture. Also due to all the new land and resources there was money to be made in the trading of such goods. In Europe none of these resources were available to the poorer of the citizens to have an opportunity to make a profit.
If you succeeded in your ventures in the colonies the rewards could have been great. “New England…has much the air of some of our best country towns in England.”(Doc 4) The towns in the New England were large and as clean as you could have in the time. The southern plantation owners made a great deal of money from the cash crops that they grew. If you could sustain your life in the colonies, you could have the opening for a good life. Also in the colonies you had the new idea of saying what you could or could not do in a lawful manner which greatly amplified the chance of success.
However, some people didn’t have the economic opportunity in the “land of opportunity.” Indentured servitude was a way for the poorest of the poor to pay there ways over to the colonies. The terms of the agreement was that one person paid the way for another person to come to America. They, in turn, worked of the debt for about seven years. This took away any chance of making money for almost entire decade. The guarantee of having a worker working for you with no questions asked was a huge benefit for anyone who could afford it. This gave the people with indentured servants a distinct advantage in the ability to make any earnings over the servants,