The High-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Dilemma: Prospects for a Realistic Management Policy

Abstract

This article serves as a foundation for understanding the earliest form of technical instruction in colonial America. It is a synthesis of historical studies that have addresses the education of indentured servants and apprentices in colonial America. It defines indentured servitude and contrasts it with apprenticeship—a form of indentured service. The paper addresses how indentured servitude in colonial America became established and how those who were employed through such means fared. Primary emphasis is on the education that indentured servants and apprentices would have received and how that varied by time periods and regions. This manuscript reveals that three general changes occurred: 1) from the adaptation of traditional practices from England to support agricultural labor in the early colonial period, 2) through a transition period caused by slavery (primarily in the south) and an increased need for apprentices in skilled trades (primarily in the north), and 3) until the late colonial period when education was emerging as a value that would help America succeed in its independence. Preface Technology is a topic that should be addressed in educating the youth of the United States. Historically, there have been differing views regarding the need for instruction of technical processes. Yet, throughout the past, numerous systems and methods have been devised to achieve this goal. More recently, various disciplines have recognized technology as an integral part of their fields. Specifically, the broader study of technology has been accepted as the primary motive for the profession of technology education. This article can help students who are preparing for careers in technology education to establish a historical background for better understanding the field in which they aspire to become teachers. The primary purpose of this study is to provide a historical account of one of the earliest forms of technical learning in America. It also describes the practice of indentured technical instruction as a system utilized by the colonists and how it helped shape education even as it exists in modern society. It presents a general overview of circumstances that have influenced the instruction of “technics” throughout the past and provides a foundation for understanding how technology education has evolved. This is accomplished by identifying numerous resources and providing a synthesis of prior historiographical efforts. Since this review cites period sources, in unedited form, some words appear in their original spelling. Introduction Indentured servitude was a critical institution in the development of the American colonies primarily because a large number of people were needed to occupy colonial America. There were many changes made in the system of indentured servitude and many differences in the regional application of indentured servitude within the American colonies throughout the period. There were also distinct changes in the relationship between education and indentured servitude. Initially, there was little interest in the education or training of indentured servants. When native-born children began entering the system as apprentices, the master became the primary source for a basic education. Finally, as schools developed, the role of master as an educator as decreased to its vocational aspect. When researching the topic of indentured servitude in colonial America, it is easy to develop a skewed impression of this practice. Many historians who mention the indenture system typically paint a simple picture of an individual who happily worked for another man until his term was served and he would become self-reliant. Specific studies that focus exclusively on the lives of indentured servants in colonial America will describe a variety of situations in which a person might have become an indentured servant, served their indenture, been treated during that period of indenture, and fared after the indenture was completed. Thus, it would not be accurate to stereotype indentured servants into one simple image. It is also important to point out that the terms indentured servant and apprentice are closely related but, in fact, have slightly The Education of Indentured Servants in Colonial America