1. Notes
a. This letter was written by an indentured servant who traveled to Virginia to work on the tobacco plantations. He wrote this letter to his parents to not only explain the terrible living conditions, but also to beg them for help and mercy. His letter details the conditions everyone had to live in and how people reacted according to them. Most importantly, he begs his parents to buy out his indenture so he can return home, or to send food for his survival in Virginia.
b. The people are incredibly sick and starving. If they haven’t already died from the indian attacks, they are barely surviving in their current conditions. Not to mention, the people are terrified of another attack from the Powhatan. People are turning on each other because they are all desperate to survive. For example, someone stole Frethorne’s Cloke and would not tell him where it was. However, he was spotted later on receiving food from the ship, so it can be assumed that the Cloke was used to trade. Frethorne also told his parents about the kind hospitality from John Jackson, the gunsmith, who took him in when he traveled to Jamestown for business. Lastly, …show more content…
This letter was about the harsh reality the Englishmen, women and children had to live in. It is important to acknowledge the hardships because it is a part of understanding the big picture. There are many sides to the story of discovering and inhabiting North America, and this letter is a crucial piece. Despite the lack of information we know about this author, his account is valuable to build a greater foundation of knowledge. The line written on page 140, “Indeede so I fynd it now to my greate greife and miserie, and saith, that if you love me you will redeeme me suddenlie,” is powerful because it clearly depicts how desperate he was in America. He was desperate enough to lay his father’s love on the line, giving the ultimatum that if you can’t help me, you must not love me. That puts the value of the letter into