Involuntary Servitude — A condition in which a person is compelled to work against his or her will under legal, physical, economic, or coercive pressure. Unlike chattel slavery, the laborer’s status is not necessarily that of permanent property, but involuntary servitude can still involve severe exploitation, harsh working conditions, restrictions on freedom, and abuse.
Historical Note: In some forms of indentured servitude and other systems of involuntary labor, conditions could be as brutal as—or occasionally even more brutal than—those experienced under chattel slavery. Because an indentured servant’s term of service was limited, some masters had less economic incentive to preserve the servant’s long-term health and productivity, particularly near the end of the contract period. However, conditions varied widely depending on the time period, location, and individual employer, and historians generally distinguish involuntary servitude from chattel slavery because chattel slavery involved permanent legal ownership of a person and often hereditary bondage extending to future generations.
« Back to Glossary Index