I have the original ancestor who was an indentured servant/farm help in 1666 in Virginia. He had to do three years of work to pay off the ‘debt’. He was 17 at the time. Oddly enough, forty years later, he’ll pass away in Virginia, owning two farms, and fairly wealthy.
My 6th great grandfather timothy McGinnis from Ulster Ireland was an indentured servant at Livingston Manor south of Rensellaer in 1720..
Timothy age 15, his father and his brothers over the age of 10 were all included, the boys until they were 21...
at age 21 now free to move about the country, Timothy went up the Mohawk River and made a lot of money as the fur trapper...
he soon owned about 26,000 acres ...