Some whites who came to America were indentured servants and they served 7 years. Some were from debtors prison. If a man could not pay his debts he might have to go to prison or I guess to America.
Old Ben’s Kraut ancestor came to NY as an indentured servant. Lucky thing for him (or unlucky), the Brit who was running the operation was incompetent and the whole thing went belly up.
Rather than feed his German laborers he “set them free” at the edge of the wilderness.