Yet others were men and women who voluntarily bound themselves to work for a term of years in payment of their passage to the colonies.

By far the largest number of the white servants in Washington's day belonged to this last-mentioned class, who were often called "redemptioners." Some of these were ambitious, well-meaning people, perhaps skilled artisans, who after working out their time became good citizens and often prospered.

A few were even well educated.
In favor of the convicts, however, little could be said.

In general they were ignorant and immoral and greatly lowered the level of the population in the Southern States, the section to which most of them were sent.
Whether they came to America of their own free will or not such servants were subjected to stringent regulations and were compelled to complete their terms of service.

If they ran away, they could be pursued and brought back by force, and the papers of the day were full of advertisements for such absconders.