The statements that describe why indentured servitude declined after the American Revolution include:
- The concept of servitude ran counter to the ideals of republican citizenship, which gained ground after the Revolution. This change in political ideals made indentured servitude less acceptable.
- Economic shifts occurred, such as the decreasing need for indentured servants due to increased use of African slave labor and paid wage labor, which employers found cheaper and less risky.
- Travel costs decreased over time, allowing immigrants to afford their own passage to America without needing to indenture themselves.
- Changing attitudes toward labor and the association of indentured servitude with slavery made it socially and politically unpopular, especially as slavery itself came under attack in the Northern states.
- Legal changes, including laws making debtor imprisonment illegal and regulations that made enforcement of indenture contracts more difficult, reduced the viability of indentured servitude.
These factors collectively contributed to the decline of indentured servitude as a labor system after the American Revolution and into the 19th century.
