Life in European Colonies: The Role of Barber-Surgeons in America

European colonies in the Americas grappled with the challenges of securing adequate labor to work the lands and contribute to the wealth of the colonizers. The settlers initially relied on indentured servants to meet their labor needs; however, the harsh realities of high mortality rates due to disease and overwork in the hot climates of places like the Caribbean and Virginia made indentured servitude insufficient.

The increasing discomfort of European laborers in such conditions led Europeans to turn to Africa, and subsequently, the institution of slavery became the dominant form of labor exploitation. Barber-surgeons, who provided essential services to the settlers, were also part of the skilled labor force brought from Europe to America.

Their presence was necessary due to their dual role in both personal grooming and medical care, reflecting a time when surgical procedures were often carried out by these practitioners. Hence, barber-surgeons were among these settlers' earliest forms of medical care in the new settlements.

Throughout the 1600s and 1700s, as European influence spread, new goods and ideas were introduced that significantly altered everyday life for Native populations and colonists alike. The adoption of European goods, coupled with the devastating impact of new diseases to which the indigenous populations had no immunity, played a significant role in changing the sociocultural dynamics of the Americas.