Colonial labor refers to the work performed by individuals in the colonies established by European powers from the 16th to the 19th centuries. This labor was often essential for the economic success of the colonies, involving activities such as agriculture, mining, and trade. Many colonies relied on enslaved people, indentured servants, and free laborers to meet their labor needs. In the Americas, for example, the cultivation of cash crops like tobacco and sugar heavily depended on enslaved labor, particularly from Africa. Indentured servitude was also common, where individuals worked for a set number of years in exchange for passage to the New World.