Under the "headright" system in virginia,

In Virginia it is stated that every settle who paid their fare to get to Virginia across the Atlantic was given a grant of 50 acres of land under the "headright" system. The "headright" system was first used by Virginia Company of London and was of crucial importance for the expansion and the development of the original 13 colonies in the New World. They were willing to do this in order to get new people to populate the colonies.