Merchant planters reaped the greatest benefit from the land policies of the headright system. The headright system was a land distribution system that was used in the colonies to encourage the settlement of new land. Under this system, anyone who paid for the passage of an indentured servant or immigrant to the colonies was granted a headright, or a grant of land. This system was particularly beneficial to wealthy individuals, such as merchant planters, who could afford to pay for the passage of large numbers of indentured servants and immigrants. By doing so, they were able to acquire large tracts of land, which they used to establish profitable plantations. African slaves were also used to work on these plantations, but they did not directly benefit from the headright system, as they were not considered indentured servants.