Reading report

Introduction

In his introduction to “Richard Frethorne: An Indentured Servant’s Letter to His Parents,” Professor Eric Foner elaborates on the historical setting into which Richard Frethorne arrived in 1623. Frethorne, like thousands of other young adults, was desperate to establish himself in the colonies in the seventeenth century. Foner’s background on the letter explains that many of these young adults agreed to an indentured servanthood, promising 4 to 7 years of labor in return for a passage to the New World and provisions necessary for survival. Foner details the unfortunate circumstances surrounding Frethorne’s arrival in Virginia just after the colony had been the site of a debilitating Indian attack. He cites the few facts historians know about Frethorne—the young man worked at Martin’s Hundred, which was a tobacco plantation near Jamestown, and he died shortly after composing these three letters to his parents in March and April of 1623. Foner does not mention the details about Frethorne’s demise; instead he allows the letters to speak for themselves.

Answers to Questions

(1) Throughout the entirety of his letters, Frethorne describes his poor living conditions, with increasing attention toward his starvation, the diseases that plague him and his fellow servants, the amount of hard work required of him, and his constant worry about the “Enemy” who could attack at any given moment. Frethorne details the miniscule amount of food provided to him because of its scarcity, and he states how he has eaten “more in [a] day at home” than he has been allowed “here for a Weeke.” He begs his father to send food soon, fearful for his own life. His lack of sustenance contributes to the hardships faced by disease and sickness, making illness harder to overcome. Frethorne is susceptible to many diseases such as “the scurvie and the bloody flix,” referring to a lack of vitamin C and dysentery. Frethorne is also affected by harsh labor conditions he endures, working impossibly long hours. He is also concerned about the enemy, the Indians, attacking the vulnerable colonists. Frethorne sees no positive outcome if he and the other three dozen or so surviving men must fight against 3,000 Indians. Overall, Frethorne is ridden with worry over the possibility of starvation, death from illnesses, the monstrous work tasks he must complete, and all the unknown with regard to the Indians.

(2) Frethorne begs his parents to “redeeme” him “suddenlie,” insisting that if they loved him they would find a way to pay off his debt to the master who has indentured him. He understands that the likelihood of this happening before he dies, or happening at all given the destitution of his family, is gravely low. He asks that if they are unable to redeem him, could they please send supplies of substantial food like “Cheese and butter, and beife.” He also expresses great need for oil and vinegar, although he understands that the transport of these results in “great losse” due to “leakinge.” Finally, Frethorne tells his parents that if his requests for redemption and food are impossible for them, to please send a small amount of money. He reiterates that his health is failing and he understands that by the time his requests reach his parents, he might already be gone.

(3) The America that greeted Frethorne did not resemble the hopeful place for which he and thousands of young men and women had signed over their freedom. He arrives ready to be part of the building of a new world, fully cognizant of the fact that he will be working hard on a plantation with many years of servitude to pay down, but he is not prepared for the extreme and dangerous conditions. Frethorne seems shocked by the fact that he and a small group of settlers will be in daily, deadly conflict with the local Indian tribes, the “Enemy” they feared “everie houer.” He shows signs of utter despair as he describes being one of a handful of men still alive in the area. Additionally, instead of opportunity, Frethorne finds that the work he came to perform in order to buy his freedom has dissolved as the plantation has failed and the owners have succumbed to disease and violence. Frethorne’s frustration at his situation feels pointless because he knows he is now indentured to a promise that no longer stands, with no master who has the capital or energy to make sure his needs are met. One bit of hope remains for him in the goodness of kind people like Goodman Jackson, a glimmer of light that represents the kind of new world Frethorne hoped for. Describing America as the “land of opportunity” calls to mind a dissonance that is not easily explained. Men and women like Frethorne were able to throw off many of the constraints back home and live politically free with the inherent possibility of being part of the building of a great new nation. However, the reality of the new world makes the likelihood of this “opportunity” a long shot.

(4a) Frethorne’s tone is unquestionably distressed and anxiety-ridden. He not only pleads for help from his father but ultimately accepts his own death, going as far as warning his family that he may “die before [his letter] Come.”

(4b) If this letter had instead been an account written by Frethorne’s employer, I think the tone might have been just as desolate but also apologetic. If the employer had been an honorable man, he would feel that the conditions into which he indentured Frethorne were shameful and he would probably feel responsible and remorseful. Frethorne’s employer had to be concerned about the welfare of his own family as well as the welfare of the men and women who he employed. If he had been a less honorable man, he would paint a less desolate picture of the situation so that reinforcements from the British Isles would continue to come to the New World to work. If he had been a selfish employer, his perception of the situation might have not been as gloomy as Frethorne’s. He would have fed himself and his family before giving food to his indentured servants, and he might have had more access to cleaner living conditions and preventative care for diseases and illnesses.

(4c) Likewise, if Frethorne had been writing to friends or a sweetheart, he might have refrained from showing such vulnerability. He might have given them a rosier picture of the situation to show his strength and good fortune. He would want these people to believe that he is prospering and doing well in his new home, accomplishing the tasks he came to Virginia to complete.

Historical Significance

Frethorne’s letters to his parents are historically significant within the context of the colonial period in American history for many reasons. First, these letters provide an invaluable first-person account of a time and place for which we have limited personal details. More importantly, they provide the eyewitness account of a young indentured servant who represents a group of people whose voices are mostly silenced due to their station in society. Second, Frethorne’s candid and emotional descriptions of his experiences show the complex meaning that the New World held for people of the time. Readers see that Frethorne had believed America could ensure him unprecedented opportunity unlike his homeland, and readers are able to sympathize with this young man’s suffering once he realizes that none of the promises were true. Frethorne’s letters illustrate the reality that many servants did not live through their terms because of the conditions they faced. Finally, Frethorne represents a group of people who contributed to America’s geographical expansion. As landowners increased their holdings and expanded into new territory, they needed increasing numbers of servants to do the hard work. Also, if one brought in enough indentured servants, they were allotted a large amount of estate. Frethorne and his fellow servants were in large part responsible for the rapid growth. Servants also expanded the cultivation of tobacco because the demand for field labor increased substantially and they were able to fill those duties. Frethorne’s letters allow vital insight into colonial life during the early and mid-1600s, with specific focus on the lives and overall significance of indentured servants.

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