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Based on the accounts of Stephen Brandt and John Winthrop does America really seem inviting? Is settling the new and the unknown really as rewarding as it is risky?
ReplyDeleteThe Loyal,
William R. Abraira
Stephen Brandt makes it sound terrible because he's asking for food and clothing which makes it sound like there's nothing there, and that doesn't make it seem inviting. John Winthrop's account says that they have all of their needs met and they are all getting along well. It does sound like it is a lot of hard work but at least they are surviving which would make it more inviting to people. Settling the new and the unknown is risky but if you make it the rewards can be great.
DeleteChristina Loisel :)
What are the differences in the personalities between Winthrop and Brandt? How is one personality more likely to survive then the other?
ReplyDeleteChristina Loisel :)
Winthrop seems to be more proud of the town and his accomplishments while Brandt seems more humble. Winthrop's letter has a positive feel to it while Brandt's has a negative tone, or without any life. Although Brandt has determination, he is stubborn and refuses to believe the truth about the gold in Virginia. Which is why Winthrop would survive in America, since he is more realistic.
DeleteWinthrop seems to be more confident about Boston and it's success. He's a hard worker and those around him seem to be as well, making Boston a positive prosperous place to live. Brandt is somewhat hopeful, but refuses to give up his ambitions to find gold and silver. Winthrop's personality and drive make him more likely to survive.
Delete-Hellen Moncada
Is Sebastian Brandt's unwavering attempt to find gold in the New World really worth sacrificing his own health? Why is it likely that he probably died after writing this letter, rather than returned to Europe?
ReplyDelete-Hellen Moncada
I don't think Brandt's sacrificing his health for gold was worth it one bit, and it was likely he didn't return to England because they didn't have the resources to sustain life in the New World. As well as people thought finding gold was their only problem to pay off their debts to the companies.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the accounts which colony would be more attractive to the English in Europe? Why would the other colony be unattractive to those still in Europe?
ReplyDeleteI think that the Boston colony would seem more attractive towards the Europeans still in America in its current time period. For one thing, Brandt's letter talked about his wife and brother being dead for almost a year when he wrote the letter, which wouldn't make colonists want to visit Virginia very much, and Winthrop's account talked about the scarcity of disease and rarity of deaths. In addition, the Virginians asked for more supplies in their letter, which signifies that they were either ill-prepared for such an endeavor or that they could not accommodate their lives to the harsh life in the New World. The Boston society, however, was faring perfectly well, from what Winthrop's account says.
DeleteBoth civilizations had opportunities to make money, but Virginia, at the time Brandt's letter was written, was based on searching for precious metals like gold and silver, as well as finding tobacco, while the Boston account, written twelve years later, has found the area time to develop itself into a comprehensive society. I guess, all in all, that it would depend whether the colonists were willing to risk life and limb to search for gold (making Virginia more appealing) or settle down in a full society, complete with churches as well as plenty of new arrivals (Boston would be the way to go) (In essence, whether they're focused on greed or religion). However, both societies appealed to the colonists at the time their letters were written(but personally, I would want to travel a place with a lower death rate and more functional society, if I had the choice).
-JL
(This is Jared LaVohn; apparently, I did not happen to circumvent the blockage of using my WCS gmail account for other sites by the administrator... odd.)
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the accounts do you think what Sebastian Brandt's request were all necessary yes or no? Explain why?
ReplyDeleteYes, I feel as though his requests were exception due to the long hours of labor that these people had to endure while colonizing America.
Delete-Hunter Ager
Yes, Sebastian Brandt's request were necessary. If I was in his situation, I would first of all not be able to sleep without a bed with linen sheets. A bed with linen sheets is very necessary. Sleeping is very important. His request for food (spices, sugar, oil, and vinegar) were necessary. Eating and sleeping are essential to life. Also, I would not be able to eat pasta or cake with my hands. Therefore, his request for eating utensils is important. In addition, Brandt's request for certain clothing is normal. I would bring specific pairs of clothing with me also if I was limited on what I could bring. Clearly, he requested what he needed for everyday life. I would do the same thing if I was in his situation.
DeleteJillian Woodard
Because Brandt was determined to find gold, he spent most of his day hiking and treking through various terrains and therefore was in need of new shoes, clothes, and many tools to work with.
Delete-Hunter Ager
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteWhat were some main reasons that Brandt and Winthrop had such different opinions of their colonies in America?
ReplyDelete-Hunter Ager
For one John Winthrop was the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, so I doubt that he would speak negatively of the land that he is in control of. In the letter he is speaking of how the Lord has blessed them, so if he then when on to talk about the negative aspects he would be contradicting himself so I am not certain that his portrayal of Boston is 100% accurate. Not much is known of Sebastian Brandt, he is an immigrant who went to the New World seeking gold. His article is probably giving a more honest description of life. He speaks of the hardships like his wife and brother dying and his own illnesses. Then Brandt goes off to list the items that he needs. If life was perfect in Jamestown then he wouldn't need all the supplies he asked for.
Delete- Victoria Delgado
Q: After reading the accounts which colony would be more attractive to the English in Europe? Why would the other colony be unattractive to those still in Europe?
ReplyDeleteA: Boston would be most attractive to those in England. This is likely because the colony was thriving in comparison to Virginia, which was struggling to survive. Boston was being run by Winthrop, who organized the government in a way that would include ordinary people (Freemen). While in England this was not at all possible because of the social hierarchy, a new opportunity for church members was opened up, such that they could have a say in government. Additionally, in the same way that Boston was able to quickly make itself a "real" settlement, Virginia established a feeling of impermanence. Winthrop states that the people were "well provided of all necessarys" in Boston, yet in Virginia, the people were starving while trying to look for instant wealth from gold that would never come. The people in Boston could easily adapt to their new life. Those in Virginia couldn't possibly have felt at home watching their neighbors die within the same year of moving over there.
- Jess Moo Young
After reading the accounts, which colony would you rather live in? Explain why.
ReplyDeleteJillian Woodard
Colony options (Jamestown or Boston)
Delete-Jillian Woodard
I think the obvious answer would be Boston because they seem to have more of a stable and livable environment over than Jamestown, but then again is puritan life my true calling?
Delete*she said giggling*
-Crista Negrete
If you Sebastian Brandt's brother and you got the message that he requested for you to join him in Jamestown would you go? Why or Why not
ReplyDelete- Victoria Delgado
Brandt's brother actually died. #awk
Delete-Hunter Ager
I think she was talking about the other brother, the one that still lived in England, Phillipps Sonne in Daresheere. #doubleawk
Delete-Crista Negrete
Do you think that, if both letters were written in 1634, as opposed to having twelve years in between them, that a colonist living in Virginia would have a more optimistic outlook on the colony?
ReplyDelete-JL
*Not necessarily more optimistic, but would his point of view be comparable to Winthrop's?
DeleteJohn Winthrop: "For the natives, they are near all dead of the smallpox, so the Lord hath cleared our title to what we possess." Assess this statement by Winthrop. What can you assume is Winthrop's position on the Natives? Do you agree with him, why or why not?
ReplyDelete- Jess Moo Young
*position in regards to the relationship between the Indians and the land.
DeleteA:This statement reveals how poorly Winthrop viewed the Natives, and how, in his mind, they were merely obstacles that interfered with his success in the new world and he thanks God for their removal. It is clear that Winthrop believes the Indians to be sub-human, because he never considers the rights of the Indians who ruled over the Massachusetts area before he arrived. No, I do not agree with Winthrop's position on Natives, for i consider Native Americans just as human as the English and they had the right to possess the land in which they lived before the arrival of colonists.
Delete-Allison de Moya
Do you believe that Brandt's determination to find gold contributed to his untimely death? Why or why not?
ReplyDelete-Allison de Moya
It probably did contribute to his death because the hard work of taking the treks and actually searching for the minerals would not allow him to recover from his illness.
Delete-Joey Alamo
I think it might have contributed to his death. He could not take the time to recover from being sick. He said he would have to climb hills to get to gold and that is a lot of exertion for someone who is ill. Also he could have just gone back to London if he had not been so set on riches.
DeleteOlivia Castro
Do you believe that John Winthrop is ever exaggerating to make the colony seem even better than it is?
ReplyDelete-Joey Alamo
Yes,it does indeed seem a bit too perfect to be true. It sounds as though the way Winthrop wrote the account he was trying to encourage more people to come from Europe to settle in Boston
Delete-JP
Does Sebastian Brandt seem to have to much trust and hope in the Company of London to get him through the tough life in Virginia?
ReplyDelete-Crista Negrete
As clearly stated at the end of Winthrop’s passage, he is quite an ignorant person, believing te death of Indians was God giving him and his people the right to the land, and that is understandable for the time, but could a, perhaps, elevated economic or political status make Winthrop’s account blind to, or at least an averting of the unspoken troubles of the more modest classes and the oppressed at the time in Boston?
ReplyDelete-jp
Why do you think that Sebastian Brandt does not mention in his letter how poor the Jamestown settlement is? He mentions his brother and wife dying and lack of expected gold, but he does not mention the death rates. Why is this?
ReplyDeleteOlivia Castro
Brandt doesn't want to advertise the settlement poorly because then no one will come to North America because of te poor conditions. Lynda Arostegui
ReplyDelete