A more thorough explanation:

An indentured servant is a person who agrees to work for another person without wages for a fixed period of time in exchange for some benefit, such as learning a trade, cancellation of a debt, or paid passage to another country. The promise of freedom is given when the contract period expires. The contract usually lasts from four to ten years, but the servant can terminate the contract sooner by paying for the unexpired time. Convicts transported to the colonies were often required to serve as indentured servants as part of their sentences.

For example, in the 17th and 18th centuries, many Europeans came to America as indentured servants. They signed contracts to work for a certain number of years in exchange for passage to America and the promise of land or money when their contract ended. These servants were often treated poorly and had limited rights.

Another example is when a person in debt would agree to become an indentured servant to their creditor in order to pay off their debt. They would work for a set number of years until their debt was paid off.

These examples illustrate how indentured servitude was a common practice in the past and was used as a way for people to gain passage to a new country or pay off debts. However, it often resulted in exploitation and limited rights for the servants.