Although it was quite an imperfect system, which was subject to diverse kinds of abuse, indentured servitude was one way by which some early settlers were admitted into America in a bid to address the problem of labor shortages.
Indentured servants (individual or family) would voluntarily offer to serve under a labor contract for a period of two to seven years, or even more, based on many factors in order to join a vessel heading to America since they cannot afford the funds to pay for the voyage.
