redemptioners
/rɪˈdɛmpʃənərz/
noun
- People who were brought to a colony (especially in early America) and had to work for a set number of years to pay off the cost of their passage.
- The ship carried redemptioners who signed contracts to work for several years.
- Redemptioners were often treated harshly until their debt was paid.
- Many redemptioners came to Pennsylvania in the 1700s hoping for a better life.