System of Debt Peonage: a feature of debt peonage was(is) that landless peasants who worked on haciendas were forced to live in accomodation owned by the landlordsand to buy clothing, food, and medicinefrom their stores. The peasants' wage never covered these basic provisions. By insisting on credit being given at the hacienda stores, the landlords created ever-increasing levels of exploitation for their workers. They deducted these debts from their wages, with the result that the peasant and his family received nothing for the work that they did.