Short Essay On Life In Virginia

Colony Essay, Research Paper

Life in Virginia Colony Being a stranger to the New World, one would expect a rich land with much to offer, abundant in natural resources, and profitable. However, this was not the case in the Virginia colony. The dream was deceiving: life in New England was challenging and was held together by inadequate leadership and a poor economy. Alden Vaughan depicts life in the Virginia colony to be oppressed under the horrid leadership. If a person was lucky enough to avoid fatal illnesses, survive during the starvation period, and was not killed by an Indian, then you led a life with a very low standard of living. According to Vaughan, the main problem for settlers was the administration and lack of a strong, but compassionate leader. With weak ruler, chaos ran rampant throughout the colony and there was not enough labor to accomplish neither survival needs nor the colony s goals. In contrast, when there was a ruler who was too strong and unconcerned with average welfare, strict laws and regulations hindered life. Around 1620, tobacco was introduced and the economy of Virginia improved, but the problem arose when farmers would grow only tobacco and not necessary food crops. However, at this time, the English settlers managed to flourish and relatively improve their poverish lifestyle.

Comparatively, the views of Robert Frethorne, an indentured servant in 1623, are very similar to the life portrayed by Vaughan. He is forced to work in the fields all day, is given very little to eat, and barely has clothes on his back. All he wishes for is a little cheese, meat, and butter, and begging is not beneath him. From this primary source, we see how the chaos of poor leadership and a shortage of supplies affect the average person in the colonies.