Uncovering the History of Indentured Servants: Discovering If Your Ancestor Was One

British, handwritten on vellum and dating from 1691. (Getty Images). Not everyone who wanted to come to America could afford the trip, yet its promise of land, opportunity, and religious liberty far outshone that of Old World countries like their home continent of Europe. As a result, indentured servants were commonly employed among America’s settlements – this document from Mayflower II alone contains evidence of indentured servitude among its 102 passengers! (Getty Images).