The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1905-08-31
Early Hmerfcan History.


: Z E Z = Ill
or those encroached upon are red,
black or white. To make the relations
with the Indians worse, the colonists
spent their time in idleness and steal
ing what they could from their red
brothers. Nothing happened during
the first six months, but in December
Captain Smith was captured by an un-
friendly tribe while he was exploring
the forests of the colony. Smiths
previous experience, together with a
pocket compass, caused the tribes to
feel that he was supernatural, and they
passed him on to another tribe. This
continued until finally he fell into the
hands of the first Indian chief he had
called upon. Powhatan decided that
he must be slain, and while they were
making preparations to send him to
the next world, the chiefs young
daughter of twelve years of age,
Pocahontas, plead so hard for his life
that the Indians fearing they would
call down the wrath of heaven upon
them, set him free. Eight years after
wards this young Indian maiden be-
came the wife of young English
officer, John Rolfe, which is the first
record of the Whites and Reds marry
ing It was also the first record of
an Indian becoming Christian. This
union greatly improved the relations
existing between the two races. This
marriage was favorably commented
upon by the English, and Rolfe and
his bride were royalty entertained up
on their arrival in England. King
James seems to have been the only
one who did not approve of the mar
riage. His only objection was, that no
one but of royal blood should marry a
princess.
During the first nineteen years the
colony had some ten or twelve acting
governors, but at no time did they
have any political rights. In 1919
Virginia was granted power to form
its own government and make its own
laws. AS a result, the first assembly
Called the House of Burgess) consisted
of twenty-one members. In this first
. assembly, laws were passed against
playing dice, cards. and against drunk
eness. So you see that the first crusade
against vice did not originate in
=. Missouri. At this first assembly pro-
visions were also made for educational
purposes, the ballot was introduced
but limited to those who owned real
estate.
Reviewing briefly the progress made
: by the colonists, we find that during
the first two years they succeeded in
l cultivating forty acres. Many of the
3 colonists had died from disease and
1 those remaining were discouraged. In
! the spring of 1909 several vessels ar
8 rived with colonists and provisions
1 still these did not bring cheer to thu
4 colonists. At this juncture Smith came
forward and said that only those
0 could eat who worked, and he ruled
s that all those who were able to worl
) would be obliged to labor at least si,
d hours day. From that time for
: ward there was decided improve
y ment in the social conditions of tn,
t colony. At no time during the frs
b twelve years were there over si,
j. hundred colonists and it was not unti
d 1909 that they introduced domestic
g animals and fowls.
d In 1910, Dutch traders landed AM
a started settlement at New AmsteI
8, dam, (now New York City while fou
l. or five years later they began to bull,
the city of Albany. In 1919 they lande
t, at Jamestown, Virginia, with twent
Is negroes, and this marks the beginning
J. of the slave trade in America. Durin
e the same year an English compan
ID induced ninety respectable Englls
f, girls (some authorities say one hun
,e dred and fifty to come to America a
8 wives for the colonists. This did nc
70 prove bad financial investment fo
l, those days, as each girl sold for fror
h. one hundred and twenty to one hur
I'd dred and fifty lbs. of tobacco, and thi
IL marks the nnilig of the white slav