Final answer:
The people on this ship were indentured servants, meaning they could eventually buy their freedom.
Step-by-step explanation:
The people on this ship were indentured servants, meaning they could eventually buy their freedom.
Indentured servants were individuals who entered into a contract, or indenture, with a person or company to work for a specific period of time in exchange for transportation, food, and shelter. After fulfilling their contract, which typically lasted for a number of years, indentured servants were granted their freedom and sometimes even received land or other resources as part of their release.
This system was prevalent in colonial America, particularly during the 17th and 18th centuries, when a large number of European immigrants arrived in the New World as indentured servants.