1607 Pursuits
1607 Pursuits
As Kumar wholeheartedly proclaims in Harold & Kumar go to White Castle “Our parents immigrated here to avoid persecution, poverty and hunger.” In this piece, I will not just state which city I choose but if you will indulge me 500 extra words, I endeavor to impart why I am confident I would successfully seize my planned pursuits. This dissertation elaborates on my personal core motivations for exploring what it would have been like if I were to have settled in Jamestown Virginia during the early seventeenth century to pursue these very goals. I’d like to begin with a prefacing consideration; brutality is reality. As any hopeful soul may aspire to attain such a “puritan” lifestyle, it is my real world experience that in raw brass tactical form of survival, you get to keep ONLY what you kill. It is the raw bloody brutal reality of those times which I cannot peel apart in my mind from tainting every aspect of the colonial settler. This state of mind (shall we say) is exactly what the European “Colonization Machine” (in whole) spread across the continent in the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It’s unfortunate that it was at the expense of the “Indian natives” growing to accept this unending, relentless conditioning of the European way of life and ultimately permanent “occupation” … Let’s build on this perspective with my first cornerstone; establish a fortified security. As Glenn Beck says regularly, “I’m not a military strategist, but I’m a thinker“. I like to consider myself by the same notion when I consider the following. The “beastly” European immigration “movement” quickly broke meek tolerances of the simple foraging Algonquian minds and like native kind. A silent but radical comprehensive cultural conditioning crept into the spirits of most native coastal peoples driving tribes further inland beyond the Appalachian mountains ; as if the coast was a demilitarized zone. With King James I’s charter to colonize and govern Virginia; in that time, you can count on that I would had followed the crowns blessing… Furthermore in my opinion, the King James Old Testament named “Joshua” is by far the most bloodiest (not taking into account the crucifixion itself). On a side note interestingly enough, this book of the 1611 Authorized Bible too was also about bloody occupation of God’s “colonial” chosen to settle the “Promised land”! I personally enjoy these “300esque” passages. Certainly, these messages do not reflect that of the Plymouth state of mind nor mirror it’s approach to practicing Puritan coveted orthodox religion. One critical reason easily for me which I did not champion Plymouth was that the thing I “worldly” feared the most about the Puritans which left them susceptible to ruin is that they mask so much in their religion. I sense that they naively cloaked themselves from their era’s external colonizing driving forces of change. From the English migrating convicts; truly the scum of the earth to Pequot Indians settling ’round about, were all quickly entrenching themselves around Plymouth’s highly contrastive way of life. Picture this hundred year movement analogous to the Third Reich’s blazon; place a white circle on a solid field of red bloodshed - just with a black hangman’s noose rather than a swastika. Puritans, if posed with choice would never evolve from their doctrine in any way as much as possible even unto their own demise. Ingrained do they stay, deeply rooted in devotion to their conservative organized Church. In fact is seems they did not have much of a military force to speak of ever than a little militia which didn’t really ever grow until later beyond Plymouth upon incorporation within Massachusetts in 1691. The European “Colonization Machine” (as I have come to call it) would surely severely impact Plymouth one way or another and shatter their way of life never to be the same again at some point inevitably. In vast contrast Jamestown, immediately provides me a substantial infusion of military. So much so that the military functioned as a critical priority which enforced martial law in the town as well as provided protection overall for the settlement warding off potential risk factors of invasion such as vengeful natives (1622), opportunistic Scots using crude modified farm tools for weapons. Therefore, Jamestown is clearly the more secure city to empower me to concentrate on my pursuits. Second cornerstone; health viability in mind & body - not spirituality Did you ever hear the story of “The Happy Kingdom and the Magic Water”? I can share with you the story (you can find it on my website) if you have not yet been told it’s lesson. In simplest economic and health strategy terms, I intend to be the protagonist in my story managing (most importantly) the “Magic Water” at all costs! That’s “my secret”!!! If it weren’t that in Jamestown about 80% of people were dying of swap malarial disease, I wonder if it the town would had become more like the “Manhattan” of today’s time. I also suppose I’d raise my own livestock not to trust the health of another’s spoils. Growing up on our family farm taught me a lot about swine especially how not to get trampled! I would properly shelter my animals and family; including my laborers to the best of my ability. I would had also known NOT to grow sweet aromatic bananas because they attract female mosquitoes (which are the only ones that feed off blood to feed babies) while figuring out the proper odor to repel those mosquitoes, black flies and gnats e.g. surround all windows and rooms with Marsh Marigolds (Kingcup back in England) and African/Aztec Marigolds which I would think would be all easily foraged for me by contract labor… Next, I wish to explain my sensitive perspective for minimizing risk of religious persecution - health in spirit I’ve seen too many good devout people suffer poor and die with nothing to pass on to their legacy. This point transcends for me the vale of where I were to colonize. My position on this major cornerstone will solidify my convictions as to why Jamestown is most promising. In those times, as it is with many even today history repeats itself with small bands of close loyal families and fellowships flee their originating homelands to avoid religious persecution. Such deep secular convictions are keystone to germination of extreme conservative townships like Plymouth. I must stop now first and comment here in respect before I bash Plymouth; good for them and their fellowship that they achieved cooperative community in their new land. I too aspire to escape and retreat from all forces and any influences which I fear could even so slightly taint my spiritual center. This critical factor is the elemental ability to exercise the practice of my spirituality freely. The Puritan religion in Plymouth is that very force which chains me down because it marginalizes my practices with an iron rod of community conformance with an exclusionary unjust bias prejudice for their strict orthodox way of life. I believe in religious toleration and that respect be kept within diversified fellowship. God ONLY will be my judge in all things… When it comes to the volatile prejudices of Plymouth’s overt centralized community; personal individual life existence is uncertain and out of the question. Even though it is important to me too seek peaceful exclusionary solace; it is not my exclusive priority in my pursuit of happiness. IT is my personal experience that no one can reason with religious extremists especially who hold a mindset of cultural or ethnic supremacy. I simply cannot deal with anyone like this; nor shall I choose to invest my limited energy in extraneous tangents other than that of focus on my pursuits. If I am able to do so and diversify effectively (e.g. not just in furs), but later in 1676 I hope my family would not endure much suffering from milestone upheavals such as Bacon’s Rebellion. In addition, I couldn’t settle in Plymouth because of my concerns for the chaotic internal community religiously centered strife that existed. Such high maintenance social delusional scandals like witchcraft in Salem; deteriorate for me the intrigue to pursue such a religious commitment. Plymouth quickly became a disenchantment. It is a dangerous thing when people can hang for religious differences… this is madness! (Again, The Happy Kingdom and the Magic Water fable can apply.) Society can be so corrupt in this tense and trying time. I would hope to build a stronghold by exercising constant balance in actions. For I believe (and I think it holds true today) that if you get hung up on anything be it radical or conservative extreme, when you become unbalanced in something, then you are in dangerous trouble! I continually seek my center on all things. Jamestown presents that best opportunity of both worlds of “spiritual & worldly”. It’s funny but I believe history needed both cities in the end to “balance” each other out. Even though there is the greater potential of added external intangible risk factors of swamp disease, crime etc. in Jamestown, my ambition and centered will power are my “blue chips” to “Stay the course” … Simply put Puritan religious establishment is too ‘darn’ extreme for my position on the matter. If I sailed away from the known civilized world for freedom of religion, the last thing I would allow myself to do is to succumb unto religious conformity in Plymouth! I would wager to say I would be more like the Quakers than any Puritan because they believed that a man’s religious belief should be determined by his conscious and not by any Church Authority. ( Ultimately let it be also said here that I bet I would have ended up following William Penn in 1681 right to “here”; thus helping found Pennsylvania. ) Truly living free does not consist of any imposed “authority” of church in any sort over the privacy of the household. Lo! I say sir, NOT MY HOUSE ! My pioneering spirit belongs in Jamestown left up to me to make of my future what I solely will. And I say to that Amen. And I say again, Amen. My final corner; economics enable all other pursuits. One big reason religiously although my encultured roots perhaps would ‘program’ me to retreat to New England for my soul’s salvation, my American entrepreneurial spirit would win without delay over religious devotion for all the factors mentioned above. Overall, I am simply more drawn to realities of living and the economics sparked in Jamestown. If I understand correctly from my limited studies, with Boston quickly in decline, once Jamestown becomes a royal colony it is no comparison for a venture capitalist. This is evident in labor force alone where in 1619 when the first Africans were brought to Jamestown. In 1720 to 1775 so much importation of slave labor occurred that half of all who were to emigrate came in that time frame verses the entire span of the first 150 years before… I think I would had setup a Wal-mart of the times, a centralized common store… I would figure out the best way to securely fortify myself, my merchandise and my family to be the man “that can get things” in Virginia for all the treasure hunters and broken criminal minds alike to earn all funds available. As far as I’m concerned, all money spends just the same. I would had worked with John Smith to encourage the Indian’s to work to produce goods for my “general store”. Hopefully in 1622 when the Indians attack Jamestown, my family is spared because I had nurtured a good working rapport with natives … And in 1676 Bacon would respect my name because by then I (and my sons) would had become well established on the ports and represent to the rebellion a major distribution channel for their trading. This cornerstone in prosperity would enable me to maintain health grow my name as an economic staple and empower me to be able to explore uninhibited religious practice. In conclusion from my compiled perspective, the vast differences between colonial New England and Virginia’s heterogeneous cultures are abundantly clear to me. Over this weekend, I sat in deep contemplation on the humble worn wooden bench where George Washington worshiped in the chapel in center city to think about my final determination. I would pursue Jamestown and not Plymouth, even though I identified good character traits of which I am drawn to between both cities as well as bad factors that present major risks to the success of my colonization. Surviving and prospering with (probably) major stakes in the London Company in the first permanent settlement in America toiling on my pursuits provide me the greatest opportunity for “glory”. At first, my life choice to be a settler in Jamestown in it’s purest essence must accept survival instinct(s) as the quintessential issue rather than any other focus prioritization of religion or other “independent luxury”; plain and simple. In Jamestown I am confident I could make a good life for myself, my family and for the ancient future of our name to resound in eternity. Thus truly a living definition and promise of America !
As Kumar wholeheartedly proclaims in Harold & Kumar go to White Castle “Our parents immigrated here to avoid persecution, poverty and hunger.” In this piece, I will not just state which city I choose but if you will indulge me 500 extra words, I endeavor to impart why I am confident I would successfully seize my planned pursuits. This dissertation elaborates on my personal core motivations for exploring what it would have been like if I were to have settled in Jamestown Virginia during the early seventeenth century to pursue these very goals. I’d like to begin with a prefacing consideration; brutality is reality. As any hopeful soul may aspire to attain such a “puritan” lifestyle, it is my real world experience that in raw brass tactical form of survival, you get to keep ONLY what you kill. It is the raw bloody brutal reality of those times which I cannot peel apart in my mind from tainting every aspect of the colonial settler. This state of mind (shall we say) is exactly what the European “Colonization Machine” (in whole) spread across the continent in the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It’s unfortunate that it was at the expense of the “Indian natives” growing to accept this unending, relentless conditioning of the European way of life and ultimately permanent “occupation” … Let’s build on this perspective with my first cornerstone; establish a fortified security. As Glenn Beck says regularly, “I’m not a military strategist, but I’m a thinker“. I like to consider myself by the same notion when I consider the following. The “beastly” European immigration “movement” quickly broke meek tolerances of the simple foraging Algonquian minds and like native kind. A silent but radical comprehensive cultural conditioning crept into the spirits of most native coastal peoples driving tribes further inland beyond the Appalachian mountains ; as if the coast was a demilitarized zone. With King James I’s charter to colonize and govern Virginia; in that time, you can count on that I would had followed the crowns blessing… Furthermore in my opinion, the King James Old Testament named “Joshua” is by far the most bloodiest (not taking into account the crucifixion itself). On a side note interestingly enough, this book of the 1611 Authorized Bible too was also about bloody occupation of God’s “colonial” chosen to settle the “Promised land”! I personally enjoy these “300esque” passages. Certainly, these messages do not reflect that of the Plymouth state of mind nor mirror it’s approach to practicing Puritan coveted orthodox religion. One critical reason easily for me which I did not champion Plymouth was that the thing I “worldly” feared the most about the Puritans which left them susceptible to ruin is that they mask so much in their religion. I sense that they naively cloaked themselves from their era’s external colonizing driving forces of change. From the English migrating convicts; truly the scum of the earth to Pequot Indians settling ’round about, were all quickly entrenching themselves around Plymouth’s highly contrastive way of life. Picture this hundred year movement analogous to the Third Reich’s blazon; place a white circle on a solid field of red bloodshed - just with a black hangman’s noose rather than a swastika. Puritans, if posed with choice would never evolve from their doctrine in any way as much as possible even unto their own demise. Ingrained do they stay, deeply rooted in devotion to their conservative organized Church. In fact is seems they did not have much of a military force to speak of ever than a little militia which didn’t really ever grow until later beyond Plymouth upon incorporation within Massachusetts in 1691. The European “Colonization Machine” (as I have come to call it) would surely severely impact Plymouth one way or another and shatter their way of life never to be the same again at some point inevitably. In vast contrast Jamestown, immediately provides me a substantial infusion of military. So much so that the military functioned as a critical priority which enforced martial law in the town as well as provided protection overall for the settlement warding off potential risk factors of invasion such as vengeful natives (1622), opportunistic Scots using crude modified farm tools for weapons. Therefore, Jamestown is clearly the more secure city to empower me to concentrate on my pursuits. Second cornerstone; health viability in mind & body - not spirituality Did you ever hear the story of “The Happy Kingdom and the Magic Water”? I can share with you the story (you can find it on my website) if you have not yet been told it’s lesson. In simplest economic and health strategy terms, I intend to be the protagonist in my story managing (most importantly) the “Magic Water” at all costs! That’s “my secret”!!! If it weren’t that in Jamestown about 80% of people were dying of swap malarial disease, I wonder if it the town would had become more like the “Manhattan” of today’s time. I also suppose I’d raise my own livestock not to trust the health of another’s spoils. Growing up on our family farm taught me a lot about swine especially how not to get trampled! I would properly shelter my animals and family; including my laborers to the best of my ability. I would had also known NOT to grow sweet aromatic bananas because they attract female mosquitoes (which are the only ones that feed off blood to feed babies) while figuring out the proper odor to repel those mosquitoes, black flies and gnats e.g. surround all windows and rooms with Marsh Marigolds (Kingcup back in England) and African/Aztec Marigolds which I would think would be all easily foraged for me by contract labor… Next, I wish to explain my sensitive perspective for minimizing risk of religious persecution - health in spirit I’ve seen too many good devout people suffer poor and die with nothing to pass on to their legacy. This point transcends for me the vale of where I were to colonize. My position on this major cornerstone will solidify my convictions as to why Jamestown is most promising. In those times, as it is with many even today history repeats itself with small bands of close loyal families and fellowships flee their originating homelands to avoid religious persecution. Such deep secular convictions are keystone to germination of extreme conservative townships like Plymouth. I must stop now first and comment here in respect before I bash Plymouth; good for them and their fellowship that they achieved cooperative community in their new land. I too aspire to escape and retreat from all forces and any influences which I fear could even so slightly taint my spiritual center. This critical factor is the elemental ability to exercise the practice of my spirituality freely. The Puritan religion in Plymouth is that very force which chains me down because it marginalizes my practices with an iron rod of community conformance with an exclusionary unjust bias prejudice for their strict orthodox way of life. I believe in religious toleration and that respect be kept within diversified fellowship. God ONLY will be my judge in all things… When it comes to the volatile prejudices of Plymouth’s overt centralized community; personal individual life existence is uncertain and out of the question. Even though it is important to me too seek peaceful exclusionary solace; it is not my exclusive priority in my pursuit of happiness. IT is my personal experience that no one can reason with religious extremists especially who hold a mindset of cultural or ethnic supremacy. I simply cannot deal with anyone like this; nor shall I choose to invest my limited energy in extraneous tangents other than that of focus on my pursuits. If I am able to do so and diversify effectively (e.g. not just in furs), but later in 1676 I hope my family would not endure much suffering from milestone upheavals such as Bacon’s Rebellion. In addition, I couldn’t settle in Plymouth because of my concerns for the chaotic internal community religiously centered strife that existed. Such high maintenance social delusional scandals like witchcraft in Salem; deteriorate for me the intrigue to pursue such a religious commitment. Plymouth quickly became a disenchantment. It is a dangerous thing when people can hang for religious differences… this is madness! (Again, The Happy Kingdom and the Magic Water fable can apply.) Society can be so corrupt in this tense and trying time. I would hope to build a stronghold by exercising constant balance in actions. For I believe (and I think it holds true today) that if you get hung up on anything be it radical or conservative extreme, when you become unbalanced in something, then you are in dangerous trouble! I continually seek my center on all things. Jamestown presents that best opportunity of both worlds of “spiritual & worldly”. It’s funny but I believe history needed both cities in the end to “balance” each other out. Even though there is the greater potential of added external intangible risk factors of swamp disease, crime etc. in Jamestown, my ambition and centered will power are my “blue chips” to “Stay the course” … Simply put Puritan religious establishment is too ‘darn’ extreme for my position on the matter. If I sailed away from the known civilized world for freedom of religion, the last thing I would allow myself to do is to succumb unto religious conformity in Plymouth! I would wager to say I would be more like the Quakers than any Puritan because they believed that a man’s religious belief should be determined by his conscious and not by any Church Authority. ( Ultimately let it be also said here that I bet I would have ended up following William Penn in 1681 right to “here”; thus helping found Pennsylvania. ) Truly living free does not consist of any imposed “authority” of church in any sort over the privacy of the household. Lo! I say sir, NOT MY HOUSE ! My pioneering spirit belongs in Jamestown left up to me to make of my future what I solely will. And I say to that Amen. And I say again, Amen. My final corner; economics enable all other pursuits. One big reason religiously although my encultured roots perhaps would ‘program’ me to retreat to New England for my soul’s salvation, my American entrepreneurial spirit would win without delay over religious devotion for all the factors mentioned above. Overall, I am simply more drawn to realities of living and the economics sparked in Jamestown. If I understand correctly from my limited studies, with Boston quickly in decline, once Jamestown becomes a royal colony it is no comparison for a venture capitalist. This is evident in labor force alone where in 1619 when the first Africans were brought to Jamestown. In 1720 to 1775 so much importation of slave labor occurred that half of all who were to emigrate came in that time frame verses the entire span of the first 150 years before… I think I would had setup a Wal-mart of the times, a centralized common store… I would figure out the best way to securely fortify myself, my merchandise and my family to be the man “that can get things” in Virginia for all the treasure hunters and broken criminal minds alike to earn all funds available. As far as I’m concerned, all money spends just the same. I would had worked with John Smith to encourage the Indian’s to work to produce goods for my “general store”. Hopefully in 1622 when the Indians attack Jamestown, my family is spared because I had nurtured a good working rapport with natives … And in 1676 Bacon would respect my name because by then I (and my sons) would had become well established on the ports and represent to the rebellion a major distribution channel for their trading. This cornerstone in prosperity would enable me to maintain health grow my name as an economic staple and empower me to be able to explore uninhibited religious practice. In conclusion from my compiled perspective, the vast differences between colonial New England and Virginia’s heterogeneous cultures are abundantly clear to me. Over this weekend, I sat in deep contemplation on the humble worn wooden bench where George Washington worshiped in the chapel in center city to think about my final determination. I would pursue Jamestown and not Plymouth, even though I identified good character traits of which I am drawn to between both cities as well as bad factors that present major risks to the success of my colonization. Surviving and prospering with (probably) major stakes in the London Company in the first permanent settlement in America toiling on my pursuits provide me the greatest opportunity for “glory”. At first, my life choice to be a settler in Jamestown in it’s purest essence must accept survival instinct(s) as the quintessential issue rather than any other focus prioritization of religion or other “independent luxury”; plain and simple. In Jamestown I am confident I could make a good life for myself, my family and for the ancient future of our name to resound in eternity. Thus truly a living definition and promise of America !
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