Dearest Mother

September 17, 1609

Dearest Mother,

            Hello, how have you been? How’s everything? It has been a while since I last talked to you. The voyage has been very long and turbulent, and I have not had time to communicate with you until now. How’s James doing? I hope everything is well..

            During the ever lasting voyage Peter, Thomas, Rosemary, Edward, the other million of mothers with their children and, I were exhausted. Everyone tried to ignore the captain’s angry and arrogant disposition; due to the delayed journey. We could finally reach Jamestown where Adam, my beloved husband, awaited for our arrival. Peter, Thomas, Rosemary, and Edward were enchanted to meet their father after more than a two years. As you know, he had been one of the first English men who had arrived at the colony, looking for riches.

            When I first stepped land, I was enchanted to see the work that the first men had accomplished in the colony. The wooden houses were steady and big and the spontaneous growth of trees around the settlement made it look even better. There were also many tobacco plantations, which were the first cash crop of the colony started by John Rolfe. Tobacco brought a lot of fortune to Jamestown, since then.   

            Recently after Adam’s arrival to Jamestown, men’s work started to decrease, but thanks to John Smith the men, including my husband, showed resilience in their work. Smith was a Nobleman and had an imperative personality. When he saw the men weren’t working how they were supposed to, he started the idea “He who does not work, does not eat”. Many of the men thought it wasn’t fair that they had to work, but Adam agreed to Smith’s idea.

            Because Adam was one of the first settlers to arrive in Jamestown, he owned a large amount of land and was elected to be part of the House of Burgesses; our kind of government. Mary Swan, Bartholomew’s wife whose husband works at the House of Burgesses with Adam, and I have also been extremely aware of any kind of guile from the government to the colonists. But no suspicion has been aroused, and I’m very proud of Adam’s progress in his work. I’ve been working at home, cooking, and taking care of the children, for now. Here in the colony, women are not allowed to do much work; men are the only ones who can work in the plantations or in the House of Burgesses.

            Mother, I want you to know we all miss you so much. I will keep you informed of everything going on here in Jamestown. I hope you can finally make your mind and decide to come to the colony with the next group of settlers; which is coming in a couple of months. You can bring James too. Take care! We love you, and await a response.

My Best Wishes,

Isabella