Indentured Servants/Redemptioners

[delfgill]

Hi,

Has anyone ever come across Italian records or a registry documenting indentured servants who traveled to America?

Thanks.

[erudita74]

Are you referring to Italian immigrants who came to the U.S. and had contracted work through the padroni system or whose families had done so? I’ve never seen a passenger list which specifically indicated that a passenger had contracted work through such a system but if they were going to work in the railroad or mining industries, for example, were young and single, and there were other passengers with whom they were traveling going to the same person and location in the U.S., and that same person had paid for their voyage, then it’s possible they were so-called indentured servants. There are lists online for individuals from countries other than Italy, for example, arriving in Philadelphia, but none specifically from Italy, as far as I can find.

Erudita

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.e ... y%20itself.

[delfgill]

Thank you!! That answers my question.

[erudita74]

https://books.google.com/books?id=ZSs_E ... ca&f=false

[delfgill]

Thanks.

[erudita74]

The following may be of particular interest you since I see you’re in New England

https://www.masshist.org/beehiveblog/20 ... north-end/

[delfgill]

Thank you very much

[erudita74]

I forgot to mention that very young immigrant children who were under contract to the padroni served as street musicians on street corners in major cities like NYC, etc. They were from poor Italian families and even had counterparts in major European cities like London and Paris. Like their older immigrant counterparts who had labor contracts to work in mines, on railroads, and in agriculture, these very young “slaves” were forced to turn all of their earnings over to the padroni, were housed in deplorable conditions, were subject to beatings and neglect, if they didn’t bring in enough money, and were vulnerable to malnutrition and disease. The padroni had promised their parents that their children would receive a good music education. They didn’t expect their children to be treated like slaves and abused by the so-called teachers to whom they had entrusted their young children.

[delfgill]

I appreciate the additional information and the article you sent earlier was a great read.

[erudita74]

Here’s an article from the New England Historical Society

https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com ... north-end/