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Sebastian Brandt's Letters To Jamestown

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Subject: This letter talks about life in Jamestown from the perspective of a settler. At the beginning times of European colonization of the New World-what is now known as America-Britain, along with France and Spain, sent over many of their citizens to start a new life in America and lay their claim to the land. Sebastian Brandt was one of the men sent over from England, and had come to Jamestown with a large group of other immigrants. However, only a fraction of them remained alive after the freezing winters and newfound disease struck into their settlement. Brandt’s own wife and brother had died in the year previous to him writing the letter. Brandt requests that supplies, such as gloves, gunpowder, oil, vinegar, a bed, and sheets, be sent to them from the London Company, as many more of the settlers in Jamestown would die if left on their own and without any outside help. Brandt also asks for his nephew to be sent to him from where he resided in Derbyshire. Brandt talks about the hardships in Jamestown, such …show more content…

Brandt wrote to Hovener in hopes that the letter would reach him and he would send back supplies in time before even more of the Jamestown settlers died. During that time, the settlers also had to deal with Indians. Because of that, Brandt had asked for a few beads and ornaments they could trade with the Indians; the longer the Indians and colonists were content with each other, the better for both sides, as war would prove to cause many casualties. The colony of Jamestown really was not going well so far, as the pros were outweighing the cons on this one. During that time, Britain was competing with Spain and France for lands of the New World, so it was crucial to lay as many claims as possible and as quickly as possible by way of successful colonies. The more colonies a country had on land, the greater their claim to that land

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