Letters from Jamestown and Plymouth

Two Letters from the Early Colonies

Letter from Jamestown, Virginia, 1617. Dear Thomas, We arrived on the banks of the James River ten years ago. The Virginia Company sent us to build a settlement and seek useful resources. We chose land near the river because ships could reach it, but the marshy surroundings brought mosquitoes, and the water was not always safe to drink. Many settlers became sick. During the first difficult years, food was scarce, and some people had little experience growing crops or doing the work needed to survive.

Our days are full. We clear fields, plant corn and other crops, mend tools, build houses, and guard the settlement. We sometimes trade with Powhatan peoples, who live in this region, but our relations have also included serious disagreements and fighting. Later, tobacco became a valuable crop for sale. Growing it brought money to the colony, but it also required more land and labor. The settlement is changing, though life remains hard for many people.

Letter from Plymouth, New England, 1621. Dear Cousin Ruth, Last year our group of English Separatists crossed the Atlantic on the Mayflower and settled at Plymouth. We came hoping to practice our religion in our own way and to make a new community. Before landing, the adult men made the Mayflower Compact, an agreement to work together and make rules for the settlement. We built homes near the harbor and began clearing fields.

The first winter was very difficult. Cold weather, sickness and a shortage of food caused many deaths. In the months that followed, Wampanoag neighbors helped some settlers learn about local foods and ways to grow them. The Wampanoag are a Native nation with their own communities and leaders. After a season of work, some settlers and Wampanoag people gathered for a harvest celebration in 1621, and we hope the peace between our peoples will last.

Life in both colonies depends on steady work. People must build shelters, grow or obtain food, care for children, repair clothing and tools, and prepare for changing seasons. The settlements are not alike: Jamestown is a Virginia settlement begun by the Virginia Company, while Plymouth was founded by Separatists in New England. Both, however, changed the lands where they settled and depended on complicated relationships with Native peoples who already lived there.