3. South Asian Indentured Servitude in the South
After slavery’s abolition, Southern planters turned to South Asian indentured laborers to fill the void on plantations. These men and women were bound by severe contracts that limited their freedom and subjected them to grueling conditions, echoing the hardships of slavery. Many faced exploitation, abuse, and broken promises of better lives in America. Their struggles reveal how systems of coerced labor adapted and persisted beyond emancipation. For more background, see Britannica’s overview.
