Richard Frethorne's Letter from Colonial America Analytical Essay
Richard Frethorne's Letter from Colonial America
Looks at the life of an indentured servant living in Virginia in 1623 as based on Richard Frethorne's letter to his parents in England.
# 148904
| 1,255 words
| 2 sources
| MLA
| 2010
| 
Published
on Nov 13, 2011
in
History
(U.S. Colonization of North America)
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Description:
This paper explains that Richard Frethorne's 1623 letter home was a plea for rescue as his prospect of surviving long enough to be set free and to be given a chance to make a successful life for himself had become so grim. Next, the author relates that Frethorne describes a tobacco plantation, which was the most common and profitable type of plantation for which unskilled indentured servants were imported. The paper depicts Frethorne's hardships of Indian attacks, illness and poverty that led him to begs his parents to help redeem his indenture.
From the Paper:
"Indentured servants who came to Virginia hoping to be turned into freemen and then prosper after their term of service, first had to survive long enough to do so. The constant threat of attack from Native Americans, death from illness, and the lack of food were daily concerns. The prospect of surviving long enough to be set free and given a chance to make a successful life for himself had become so grim, Richard's letter home was a desperate plea for rescue."An indentured servant was someone who signed a contract to an employer guaranteeing their labor for a fixed period of time. These periods of time were typically three to seven years. In exchange for the use of their labor and the profit gained from it, the Indentured servant was given transportation to the New World, food, clothing, and shelter for the duration of the contract. Upon completion of the contract the Indentured servant was then turned into a freeman and was allowed to pursue prosperity of their own. The work was often times hard manual labor, the food was of low quality and not plentiful, and the shelter was minimal."
Sample of Sources Used:
- Fausz, J. Fredrick. "Powhatan Indian Uprising of 1622" American History Magazine March 1998: <http://www.historynet.com/powhatan-uprising-of-1622.htm/1>
- Murrin, John. A History of the American People . 4th edition. Volume 1: to 1877. 2005.
Cite this Analytical Essay:
APA Format
Richard Frethorne's Letter from Colonial America (2011, November 13)
Retrieved March 23, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/richard-frethorne-letter-from-colonial-america-148904/
MLA Format
"Richard Frethorne's Letter from Colonial America" 13 November 2011.
Web. 23 March. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/analytical-essay/richard-frethorne-letter-from-colonial-america-148904/>