1850: Hawai‘i regulates Asian immigrant labor

The Hawaiian government establishes indentured servitude with “An Act for the Governance of Masters and Servants.” China, Japan, and the Philippines become the main sources of indentured immigrant workers (who sign contracts, or “indentures,” to work for fixed periods in return for transportation to the islands, and room and board). Abolitionists in the U.S. complain that indentured servitude creates conditions tantamount to slavery.

Theme

Land and Water

Region

Hawai‘i