The primary form of labor refers to the main type of work or employment that was used in early American colonies. It specifically refers to the predominant method by which goods and services were produced.
Related terms
Indentured Servitude: This term refers to a contractual arrangement where individuals agreed to work for a specific period of time (typically 4-7 years) in exchange for passage to America or some other benefit.
Slavery: Slavery involved owning another person as property and forcing them to work without pay or freedom. Enslaved individuals were considered legal property and had no rights.
Subsistence Farming: Subsistence farming is an agricultural practice where farmers produce enough food and resources to meet their own needs, with little surplus for trade or sale.