Sunday 21 October 2012

Letters of Thomas Newe



The account I have chosen is a series of letters from an young English nobleman - according to the information that preludes the letters he was Oxford Educated, suggesting he came from wealth - who has just arrived at Charles Town, in the Carolina Colonies. His account is useful because it highlights one of the major problems that first plagued the colonies, using people with barely any prior knowledge of husbandry to try and cultivate the land - "Especially if we consider the first Planters which were most of them tradesman, poor and wholly ignorant of husbandry." Suggesting the work was hard and labor intensive, if they had to resort to using poor tradesmen, and complex too. 
Newe's letters also highlight the complex relations with the Indians, as he says that beside one "kingdom" whom he calls the "Westos" the colonists were at peace with the Indians, who they traded with and communicated with - "there are above 40 kingdoms, the strength and names of which are known to our Governor who upon occasions summons their kings in." They also worked with the Indians in their "war" with the "man eaters" whom he calls "Westos." But then he also shows that the colonists looked down on the Indians, for he ridicules them when they exaggerate the numbers of the Spanish - "reported that they were 800 men, whereas some of the Privateers have been there, and say that they are not able to raise above 300 men." 
Finally Newe's letters also provide inside into Spanish - British relations, (which in the southern colonies would have been frequent as Spain controlled Florida at this point) suggesting that they are not very good - "Our people were so far from being afraid that they mightily rejoiced at the news of it, wishing that they might have some just cause for War with the Spaniards." 


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