Frethorne: The Life Of An Indentured Servant

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The life of an indentured servant was very challenging. There was a slim survival rate and everyone was dying of disease and lacking sufficient nutrition. In his letter, Frethorne describes death, disease, and the possibility of him dying if his servitude is not redeemed.
Perhaps the most depressing aspect of the life described in the letter is how the servants were treated. A week of food for an indentured servant was equivalent to a day supply in the colony. Many of Frethorne’s fellow servants had already died. With even more sick with disease. Much anguish could be heard among his fellow servants as they would trade their limbs to go back to England.
His attitude toward other indentured servants must have been less than positive. After all,

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