“Peonage, which is a term descriptive of a condition that existed in Spanish America, and especially in Mexico, and in the territory of New Mexico, and which may be defined as the status or condition of compulsory service based upon the indebtedness of the peon to the master, the basic fact being the indebtedness, is abolished and prohibited by an act of Congress which further declares that any statute, resolution, regulation, ordinance, or usage of any territory or state designed or operating to establish, maintain, or enforce, directly or indirectly, the voluntary or involuntary service or labor of any persons as peons, in liquidation of any debt or obligation, or otherwise, shall be null and void [42 USCA § 1994].” 45 Am. Jur. 2d Involuntary Servitude and Peonage § 10, at 935–36 (1969).
peonage
peonage (pee-[schwa]-nij), n. Illegal and involuntary servitude in satisfaction of a debt. [Cases: Slaves 24. C.J.S. Peonage §§ 3–5.] — peon, n.
