History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 43

History - Essay Example At that period Virginia was operating under head right system. It dawn to leaders of that time that for economy to grow there is need for labor and with that in mind the government of the day provided incentives to farmers to import workers. Masters were rewarded up to 50 acres of land for bringing labor across the Atlantic (Gray, Colonial America, p. 118). The system was being used by the plantation owners to increase their land and in addition to that received service of the workers. The system as it appears at first seems to benefit both the master and the servant because the servants were paid for fare across the Atlantic. Employment was on contact basis and on termination the servant were paid bonus, or other goodies like lands clothes or food. To the English poor it seems like lucrative offers abroad and this possibly lured Johanna smith. Many were lured out of unite kingdom with promises of land ownerships and prosperity but the reality on the ground was different.Upon arrived the condition at the ground was difficult and this made it difficult for many of them to live to complete 4-7 years of service (Gray, Colonial America, p. 118). The mortality rate was high in Virginia due to lack of food and diseases. Many wrote back to their families back in United Kingdom on their state of misery. Despite the poor state of living the masters wanted to diligently use them to maximize their returns, the servants interest were only expanding their investment while cutting cost to the possible minimum. In the first year of service the labor was required to pay back for the master’s investment and in subsequent years to make it profitable, these conditions worsen the condition because they were under immense pressure from the masters to pay back the investment within the short period of one year. Many didn’t want to extend the terms of their contract they wanted freedom and the