What Newe Vice is this?

1611- John Rolfe dies in an Indian (Pamunkey) raid near Jamestown. He dies a relative unknown, merely seen as an oddly weathy man in Jamestown. He had an odd penchant for horticulture, although his notes are lost during the shipment of his belongings back to his family in England.

1613- A shortage of supplies hits the colony, and the Virginia Company raises concerns about the Powhatan War and the balance of trade.

1614- The First Anglo-Powhatan War ends, with the marriage of Sir Samuel Argall arranged to Pocahontas. Of note during the proceedings is the assumption that Pocahontas's child will inherit the title of Powhatan, something that will have great effect later.

1616- The Virginia Company, under increasing economic pressure, issues a mandate to colonists- they are to portion out land on their holdings for the growth of "tobaccoe and other luxuries". Sir Samuel Argall, acting deputy of the Company, begins to enforce the mandate outside of Jamestown.

It is not well liked, even more so as Virginia Tobacco is labelled as a smelly weed, and not attuned to the tastes of Europe. The first few shipments to England and Europe are not well recieved, and turn little profit. Large amounts of the weed lie unshipped, in an area known as "Tobaccoe Row". The only significant market for the large shipments of the tobacco are for barter with the Indian tribes and frontier whites.

Comments? The introduction of John Rolfe's hybrid weed had changed the economy of Virginia and turned the fortunes of the colonists within a few years. Without him or his innovation, I don't think it will prosper or boom as it did. The marriage of Pocahontas was made in TTL not to meld business interests, but in an attempt to give the English control of the Powhatan, a more Spanish approach to Indians.

1617- Pocahontas bears child on January 24, 1617. The child is named Samuel Wahunsenacawh Argall. Samuel Argall Sr. begins arrangements for travel back to England, for the establishment of a court presence and for continued power after the likely royalization of the Virginia Company.

The Tobaccoe and Luxurie Mandate is discussed for repeal, but the Virginia Company shareholders fail to come to a consensus. Samuel Argall continues to enforce it. The useless weed continues to rot in Tobaccoe Row, although sales are higher with Indians and on the frontier, where it is becoming a sort of currency. The Company also raises land prices heavily, in an attempt to draw a profit.

1618- The Argall family is greeted in London early in the year by Virginia Company shareholders (Argall is something of a hero, and it is believed that Pocahontas will add to the company's land holdings.) It is believed that he and his family met the King during a masque ball, but it is truly unknown.

The Bishop of London is stated by Samuel Purchas as having "entertained her (Pocahontas) with festival state and pomp beyond what I have seen in his greate hospitalitie afforded to other ladie"

Near the end of the year, they return to Jamestown.

1619- Early in the year, Chief Powhatan Wahunsenacawh dies. His older brother, Opchanacanough, assumes the title of Powhatan.

Samuel Argall and the Virginia Company have other ideas. He sends an envoy rejecting Opchanacanough as the leader of the Powhatan Empire. He declares his son Chief Powhatan, and he and his wife Regent. And so began the War of Indian Succession.

I'll follow this. It sounds good, so far. I'm reading Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick, and you're definitely hitting all the write chords with my reading material.

I probably can't contribute alot, but I like it so far.

Thanks. It came up while we were discussing John Rolfe in AP US history. His tobacco was important- the Barbados variety would not grow in Virginia, and the local stuff was very low quality and low yield. His hybrid combined the two very well- it was a long time before the breed was changed.

Are you doing the colonization of the Americas right now in AP U.S. History as well this year? Weird. We're living the same life, man!

Well, it is a standardised course.

Any comments on the TL so far? Implausible? Mistakes?

Oh, and Powhatan's slightly later death is not a mistake- its an assumed effect from less friction between whites and Indians (no tobacco really lessens the land rush)

1620- Captain John Smith, living in London, publishes a political pamphlet demanding royalization of the Virginia colony, failing as it is under the Virginia company, as well as demanding direct English intervention in the War of Indian Succession. It is well recieved by many Englishmen and by Parliament, although the London merchant community expresses worry about royalization as a precedent.

The Tobaccoe and Luxurie Mandate is ended by Samuel Argall, due to "circumstances of war". However it is soon replaced by a more invasive "Foodstuffs Act", which allows his soldiers to take a portion of food from any farm they pass. He also starts a militia system, offering fifty acres to any man who provides armaments and a soldier to the Virginia Company (the headright system). He is later condemned by the Company for his "independent and vulgar actions"

The Powhatan Confederacy is split. Many tribes would rather aquiesce to the demands of the Virginians than fight against them- for many tribes, their only contact with white men has been positive, and their contact with the Powhatan less so. Even the major confederated tribes show a bit of reluctance to fight such a war. Many of the tribes on the fringe of Virginian and Powhatan territory join to fight on the side of the Virginians.

Argall sets as his war goal, under Pocahontas's suggestion, the capture of the two Powhatan capitals. Werowocomoco (Wicomocho, Virginia) and Powhatan (Richmond, Virginia), and the terms of surrender the acceptance of his son as Powhatan and the deaths of all three of Wahunsenacawh's brothers.

The first large scale battle (beyond simple raids, that is) is to the north of Werowocomoco (Werewoke, to many of the soldiers) in a small village established shortly after the Succession Crisis as a forward garrison. The Battle of York River occurs on July 13, during a particularly hot Virginian day. the Garrison town's population numbers, approximately, 300 males and 200 females. The militia, led by Captain Phillip Bell, offers surrender to the Indians of the town, and they refuse. The city is assaulted and torched, after defeating the Indian garrison, and the remaining male prisoners are executed. The surviving women (who were either wives to the soldiers, farmers or other workers for the settlement) are lotted off to the soldiers as wives.

Phillip Bell is told to continue his advance by Argall, but is stalled in his march towards Werewoke by continuous raids, supply problems and fervent assaults by well armed Indians. He demands "That the Powhatan volunteres be sent to my command at once" Although his numbers are being well bolstered by the many volunteers sent under the headright system, he has to assign a large number to limited farming, hunting and gathering, which only makes teh raids more dangerous.

In September, a Pamunkey division, armed mainly with Pikes, is assigned to Phillip Bell's command. They evade the opposing force, and attack from the rear, and give Bell a brekathrough he needed. The Battle of Werewoke is a stunning success, and is marked as ending on September 25th.

Sadly, the Brothers Powhatan had already fled the town.

Samuel Argall demands the same sort of execution wrought upon all the small villages that had been captured. Phillip Bell refuses, as he had been lax in other villages to avoid manpower and supply problems. He needs Werewoke for the wintering, fortification, and as a supply route for any campaign further west.

That is not to say that he was a kind victor- he ordered all men of age for military service to the town commons, unless found to have a skill useful to the military. He proceeded down the line, and kissed on the cheek every tenth man, and they were shot shortly afterwards. The unmarried women and widows of the town were lotted out to all single soldiers, and men who did not win a women could sign on for further service to gain a wife.

The Pamunkey division was quartered in the Powhatan Longhouse, next to the great chimney John Smith built for his once-friends. They would not march except on patrols till March.

Ooh... cruel stuff with that kiss-and-kill procedure. These are Indian men Argall does this, correct?

Yes, Indian men, and Argall wanted to kill more. Bell, the commander, stops him, being more of a pragmatist. He still wants an example made, and wants to stop any possible defections.

Its Bell who does the kiss and kill decimation, primarily to embarass, but also as a bit of a joke to his men. I had heard of a similiar thing happening in other executions in this time (telling a joke to each marked man, shaking hands, offering wine, stuff like that), but a kiss seemed best considering the language gap, and easy understanding of its meaning.

Also seems a funny way to spite the rather common torture Indians did dish out. Seen as an honor to take torture before death.

Tobacco was consumed in Spain earlier than that.

Condottiero said:

Tobacco was consumed in Spain earlier than that.

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Barbados tobacco, not Virginia tobacco.
Interesting. A very different pattern for American settlement. I've speculated often about PODs that might lead to an America that was not settled mainly by slaves and indentured servants with artificial racial divisions, and you seem to have hit a good one. I'd like to see where this goes.

Condottiero said:

Tobacco was consumed in Spain earlier than that.

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As Baldie said, not Virginia tobacco, which was regarded as very bad, and not commercially viable (offered less buds, had no good flavor to it, and had acrid smoke). Barbados tobacco, however, could not grow in Virginian climes, despite tasting better and having more buds. John Rolfe's hybrid solved that problem.

While different curing could have perhaps done something about that, there would be no incentive for anyone to really try it, and it would yield far less profit than Barbados tobacco, simply because it would be more expensive to produce. In TTL, Virginian tobacco is not big in Europe (it wasn't before the hybrid), and is mainly sold (because of quantity and the economy of scale) to Indians.

John Rolfe was ridiculed for growing tobacco in Virginia- until his hybrid succeeded on the market. Here, there is no example of Virginian tobacco making any market breakthrough, as there is no hybrid. Hence, no tobacco economy developing, really.

Interesting. A very different pattern for American settlement. I've speculated often about PODs that might lead to an America that was not settled mainly by slaves and indentured servants with artificial racial divisions, and you seem to have hit a good one. I'd like to see where this goes.

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Yes, that is one of the things I was thinking about when I offed John Rolfe. Slaves are not likely in an economy based on simple agriculture, like grain or corn and rice further south.

A most interesting ATL. You've captured my attention with it.
Please, pray continue.

BTW, I have a feeling that the "decimation" was thought up by a {in-the-ATL} guy who likes to read about the Roman Empire.

Condottiero said:

Tobacco was consumed in Spain earlier than that.

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But these aren't Spaniards; these're English...who're the best of enemies at that point in time, if I recall.

Keenir said:

A most interesting ATL. You've captured my attention with it.
Please, pray continue.

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Thank you, I will.

I'm sketching out what to do with the Puritans, and have a few options on the table. Either they get their grant from the Dutch, and aim for the north from the beginning, ending up near or at Cape Cod, or they get their grant form the Virginians and end up further south than in OTL (Virginia doesn't look anywhere near as decadent ITTL)

Keenir said:

BTW, I have a feeling that the "decimation" was thought up by a {in-the-ATL} guy who likes to read about the Roman Empire.

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Well, classical education was common among English nobles, even then.

Not to mention that random executions were a common military policy (albeit on a smaller scale) in Ireland at times (as well as, I'm sure, in Spanish Mexico). It weeds out the possible rebels, and shows them who wields power now.

And, tobacco is not as heavily produced or consumed in Europe ITTL, although I am going to be looking at the Caribbean effects of a near monopoly on tobacco.

The Grace Colony

In June of 1619, attempts by Robert Cushman (a leading Pilgrim) to gain a land patent are stalled by the Virginia Company, over the war in the Americas as well as exorbitant land prices (the main source of revenue in later years). He returns to Leiden, disgusted.

While he had been negotiating in London, William Bradford had been discussing terms with Dutch companies over a settlement. After hearing of Cushman's failed attempt, he delved further into negotiations, and soon, his Puritans had sponsors, of the Dutch variety.

They were given a charter for a settlement to the east of the Hudson River, and were required to sell "all luxuries of furre or lumbre to Company agents". Their right to speak English was guaranteed, as was their right to sell all other products freely. The freedom of their church from governance was held as key.

The Hudson River Company set the English Puritans out onto the sea in one large ship, with 100 men, and two smaller ships with 50 each. Many of the non-Pilgrims (Strangers) were fellow Englishmen, although Dutch and North Germans were represented. The Godspeed, Speedwell and the Providence, as they were christened, set sail in early August of 1620.

The colonists arrived to the east of the Hudson River, in the area they believe alotted to them in their charter. (OTL's Connecticut, on the Thames, New London) on October 12. The Speedwell was sent west to New Amsterdam for provisions, and validation of their chosen landing spot.

They name the river Grace, and they soon begin building their winter housings. The name of their first settlement is argued for a while among the Pilgrims, before the name of Grace Landing is finally chosen.

Yes, that is one of the things I was thinking about when I offed John Rolfe. Slaves are not likely in an economy based on simple agriculture, like grain or corn and rice further south.

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Accuatally the reason that Rice got established in South Carolina -Was the importation of African Slaves used to the cultivation of Rice. the first several English attemps failing.

I realize that, but rice was still viable and known without African slaves (it was actually a loss for slave holder plantations usually, its only asset was the local market and the relative stability of a non-cash crop) - if it is pushed as a good food staple, the Africans settled in South America (who knew of rice cultivation) and Africans otherwise involved in trade with Europe and the Americas could become involved.

Maybe African indentured servants at first, but full blown slavery isn't likely to survive in an economy based on food staples- it would need a cash crop to fuel the market of flesh.

But, in any case, thats getting a bit ahead of myself. I'm now working on the March for Powhatan, so expect an update as soon as I can get it done.

Oh, and I would welcome any further comments, suggestions or nitpicks.

Anyone want to make suggestions for the next step? Have any comments on the Grace Colony?

The Grace Colony is Dutch Correct?

If it is the Hudson would be the North River (Deleware being the South) and the Conn is the Fresh River

The Grace Colony is Dutch, in the same manner that the Separatist were in the Netherlands- they are recieving protection and tolerance, but wish to remain English. Many are bilingual, however, and have begun to assimiliate. This will be lessened to a degree in North America, but New Amsterdam and their Dutch Charter will ultimately push them more towards being Dutch.

As for the Rivers, I found out the North River title after writing it up, and am thinking of changing their landing site from the Thames River (in Connecticut) to the Connecticut River, simply because it is a better riverway (it seems). Either way, the Connecticut (Fresh if not the primary landing place, Grace if it is) will become a good Puritan port.

And, it will be a few days (still) before I get the March to Powhatan up.