Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

5-2024

School/College

College of Liberal Arts and Behavioral Sciences (COLABS)

Degree Name

MA in History

Committee Chairperson

Cary Wintz

Committee Member 1

Jesse Esparza

Committee Member 2

Nupur Chauduhuri

Committee Member 3

Jonathan Chism

Keywords

colonization, Free labor, immigrants, labor exploitation, servitude, slavery

Abstract

This thesis explores the deconstruction and modernization of the narrative surrounding slavery in the United States by recognizing the multifaceted exploitation of labor beyond racial limitations. Through an assessment of representations and historical instances of forced, free, and semi-free labor in the United States, this study explores various forms of systemic subjugation and discrimination endured by diverse communities of immigrants. Specific consideration is given to examples such as indentured servitude of the colonial era and the experiences of “new immigrants” of the industrial period in challenging the established racial paradigm correlated with slavery. The experiences of specific European ethnic sub- groups, such as the Irish, are explored and juxtaposed with chattel slavery to compare the severity of each experience. By incorporating these narratives, the research aims to provide a more wide-ranging and nuanced understanding of the complex accounts of forced, free, and semi-free labor exploitation among various ethnic communities in the United States; to ascertain the basis for its current representation as entirely an African American experience, along with its consistencies and contradictions; and to contribute to a broader discussion on the various dimensions and implications of systemic injustice in the Western world, primarily within the United States of America.

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