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Some have discounted the role of these first Polish immigrants. For example, Philip Barbour states in his article The Identity of the First Poles in America that "there is a general tendency in the works to which we have had occasion to refer here to adduce important-looking but often irrelevant works to magnify the role played by the Poles who first came to America" (91). However, the following presents historical evidence that disproves this idea and supports the claim that the first Polish settlers greatly contributed to both the survival and development of the Jamestown settlement.
Joshua D. Holshouser, Lucyna Brylinska-Padney, and Katarzyna Kielbasa state that "within less than a year, the colony [Jamestown] was in danger of failure," because "no profits were heading back to England; disease ran rampant due to the lack of fresh water, food supplies were low, and little to no work had been done to establish an industrial base" (par.1). As a result, only 32 of the 105 original English settlers survived prior to the arrival of the second wave of settlers in 1608 (Chandler 4).
These conditions were the result of the failures of the original Jamestown colonists. The first English settlers were described as "ill-suited for the task" of establishing a new colony because "these gentry knew nothing of or thought it beneath their station to tame a wilderness" (History of Jamestown," par. 1). Also, these original settlers were more consumed with searching for unfounded gold and failed to realize that "the treasures of Virginia were in its soil, but not as nuggets to be had for picking" (Chandler 3).
Thus, it was clear that these English settlers were unable to survive completely on their own and that they thought life on the colony would be much easier. As a result of the English settlers' attitudes, Jamestown lacked the workforce needed for survival and sustainability. Yet, these settlers would do little to turn things around and ultimately requested the assistance of new settlers that would be brought to the colony.
Today, the general perception of Polish immigrants tends be of those Poles who immigrated after 1863 when Poland itself was at its lowest economic point. The majority of these Poles have been seen as "needy" and "illiterate" (Mocha 3). But, prior to 1776, there was no need for Poles to immigrate on economic or political grounds. This was because the country of Poland was enjoying its "Golden Age" where it was both free and strong. At the time, Poland had established traditions of civil liberties and religious toleration. Thus, those who left Poland were seen as leaving a "paradise" and not relocating to one.
Despite this prosperity in Poland, five Poles were hired by the Virginia Company of London, boarded the ship "Mary and Margaret," and arrived in Jamestown on October 1, 1608 ("First Polish Settlers," par.1). The first Poles to immigrate to Jamestown were: Michael Lowicki (nobleman, industry and business organizer, and leader of the group); Zbigniew Stefanski (glass production specialist); Jan Mata (soap producer); Stanislaw Sadowski (lumber and clapboard production organizer); and Jan Bogdan (pitch and tar manufacturer, shipbuilding expert) (Barbour 82). These Poles "were members of the Polish gentry, former country squires, who besides being of intellectual class, were well acquainted with the methods of production needed at the time of Jamestown" (Holshouser, Brylinska-Padney, and Kielbasa, par.4).
But why would these Poles decide to leave their prosperity when so many uncertainties existed in Jamestown? M.J. Madaj believes that these Poles were eager to help American colonists, cherished individualism, and sought to perpetuate the ideals of individual freedom and liberty that were so valued at the time in Poland (54-55). Frank Mocha explains that "these Poles were coming here [North America] - just like citizens of other sovereign nations - as explorers, in search of adventure, to satisfy their curiosity about a new continent" (Mocha 4). Whatever their reasons were for leaving Poland, the impact of these Poles would be felt on Jamestown shortly after their arrival.
When these first five Poles arrived in Jamestown, they were not impressed at all with what they saw. Glassmaker Zbigniew Stefanski commented that "seldom has one seen suck lack of resourcefulness as we found in Virginia" (Holshouser, Brylinska-Padney, Kielbasa par.5). Because of the poor state of the colony, these Poles focused immediately on meeting the needs for basic survival (Holshouser, Brylinska-Padney, Kielbasa par.5).
Many examples demonstrate the immediate impact of these Poles on the human survival of the colony. For instance, the swampy conditions of Jamestown resulted in a poor water supply where the only source of water for the colonists was swamp water (Holshouser, Brylinska-Padney, and Kielbasa, par.2). Drinking this swamp water escalated the spread of dysentery, other related illnesses, and death in the colony. In response and without delay, the five Poles immediately dug a well that would provide a clean source of drinking water for the entire colony and the English settlers were amazed and grateful. Also, the Poles produced pitch (a tar from trees) and lumber that were vital in providing shelter for the colony ("First Polish Settlers," par.2). Even more, these Poles helped save the life of John Smith, an indispensable leader of the colony, by quashing an assassination attempt by one of the "mightiest and strongest savages that Powhatan had under him" (Barbour 79). In many ways, these Poles helped facilitate the colony's basic human survival.
But, the five original Poles would also contribute on an economic level. Jamestown was originally founded as a private venture by the Virginia Company of London whose goal was to produce profit. In the Virginia Company of London's "A True and Sincere Declaration," the company explains the colony's purpose to investors: "to take possession of North America, bring Christianity to the Indians, and produce valuable commodities" (Horn 53). However, the original English settlers had produced nothing of value prior to the Poles arrival. As a result, investors were growing impatient and considered abandoning the colony completely.
As was previously mentioned, the original English colonists initially concentrated their efforts on finding gold in Virginia. This was despite explorations prior to 1607 that revealed Virginia's abundant supply of pitch, tar, rosin, and turpentine (and not gold) that could produce valuable commodities such as oils, wines, soap-ashes, and wood-ashes. When efforts of finding gold proved unsuccessful after the colony's first year, the Virginia Company sought to utilize the colony's plentiful raw materials. Accordingly, at the request of John Smith, the Virginia Company hired the five Poles because of their expertise in manufacturing glass, pitch, tar, soap, ash, and other products.
These Poles did not disappoint as they set the first industries of North America in motion. They built a furnace to produce glass products which established the first factory in America. They cut down the first trees for lumber manufacturing. They produced the first pitch and tar which were vital building materials in the 17th century. Eventually, this production by the Poles enabled the first commercial items to be exported from America to Europe. This first ship of exports with Jamestown products consisted of samples of the glassmakers' works, a cargo of pitch, and other lumber products, all items manufactured by the Poles. Consequently, as Alvin Chandler states, "practically all of the profits realized by the London Company came from the resale of the products of the Polish industries"; and, these examples provide clear evidence that the Poles helped the colony to realize an unseen economic capacity the Virginia Company of London had hoped for (Chandler 4).
While these Jamestown Poles contributed to meeting the needs of survival and economics, they had an affect on the politics of the colony as well. On June 30, 1619, the Jamestown Legislative Assembly was established which created a representative government structure in the colony (Holshouser, Brylinska-Padney, and Kielbasa, par.7). However, voting privileges were only extended to colonists of English descent (Holshouser, Brylinska-Padney, and Kielbasa, par.7). In response, the Polish workers staged a labor strike - not for higher wages - but for the right to vote ("First Polish Settlers," par.3). The assembly quickly acknowledged the vital role Poles played in the settlement and granted them the same voting privileges as English. This also marked America's first labor strike.
Jamestown was a significant colony for two reasons. First, had the British decided to abandon the colony entirely, it may have resulted in French, Spanish, or Dutch colonization in the Mid-Atlantic region and, such action may have allowed one of these countries to emerge as the eventual power in North America. Second, Jamestown gave rise to other British colonies and taught valuable lessons on what was required for both prosperity and survival. James Horn explains that "by trial and error, they [colonists] discovered that only with the introduction of stable political and social institutions - representative government, the church, private property, and family and community life, as well as the discovery of profitable commodities - would settlements prosper and grow" (53). Thus, understanding this importance of Jamestown justifies the study of this colony while putting the value of the colony in perspective.
The importance of the Polish immigrants has been expressed by both those who lived in and have researched Jamestown. In Captain John Smith's personal manuscripts entitled True Travels, he states about Poles and Dutch that "they were good soldiers and craftsmen, the saviors of Jamestown colony" (Zamachaj 76). Researchers Joshua D. Holshouser, Lucyna Brylinska-Padney, and Katarzyna Kielbasa state that "the saving of Jamestown after its first disastrous year was due in large part to the efforts of those original Poles" (Holshouser, Brylinska-Padney, and Kielbasa, par.9). Thus, while some may discount the role of Polish colonists in Jamestown, the provided historical proof helps to nullify this idea and aids in confirming the claim that Polish immigrants played a crucial role in the survival and development of Jamestown.
Works Cited
Barbour, Philip L. "The Identity of the First Poles in America." The William and Mary Quarterly: 3rd Series 21.1 (January 1964): 77-92. JSTOR. Dacus Library, Rock Hill, SC. 10 Oct. 2008 .
Chandler, Alvin Duke. "The Poles at Jamestown." The Polish Review 2.4 (1957): 3-6.
"First Polish Settlers." PolishAmericanCenter. The Polish American Cultural Center Museum. 10 Oct. 2008 .
"History of Jamestown." APVA Preservation Virginia. 2000. The Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities. 10 Oct. 2008 .
Holshouser, Joshua D., Lucyna Brylinska-Padney, and Katarzyna Kielbasa. "The Role and Accomplishments of Polish Pioneers in the Jamestown Colony." Role of Polish Colonists at Jamestown. July 2007. Polish American Congress. 10 Oct. 2008 .
Horn, James. "Why Jamestown Matters." American Heritage 58.3 (Winter 2008): 52-53. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Dacus Library, Rock Hill, SC. 10 Oct. 2008 .
Madaj, M. J. "The Meaning of the Bicentennial to the Polish American Community." Polish American Studies 33.1 (1976): 53-59.
Mocha, Frank. "First Poles in America: Historical Background." Poles in America: Bicentennial Essays. Ed. Frank Mocha. Stevens Point, WI: Worzalla, 1978. 3-9.
Zamachaj, Stanley E. "Polish." Historical Journal of Western Massachusetts (1976): 75-79.
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