Most Virginia settlers found that life in the new colony did not live up to John Smith’s ideal. For thousands of people in England, the only way to afford the trip to the New World was to travel as an indentured servant. These servants provided the labor that allowed tobacco planters to get rich, but they rarely earned much themselves. In the following letter, indentured servant Richard Frethorne describes the misery of his early days in Virginia.

Loveing and kind father and mother my most humble duty remembred to you hopeing in God of your good health, as I my selfe am at the makeing hereof, this is to let you understand that I your Child am in a most heavie Case by reason of the nature of the Country [which] is such that it Causeth much sicknes, as the scurvie and the bloody flix, and divers other diseases, wch maketh the bodie very poore, and Weake, and when we are sicke there is nothing to Comfort us; for since I came out of the ship, I never ate any thing but pease, and loblollie (that is water gruel) as for deer or venison I never saw any since I came into this land, there is indeed some fowl, but We are not allowed to goe, and get it, but must Worke hard both earelie, and late for a messe of water gruel, and a mouthful of bread, and beef, a mouthful of bread for a pennie loafe must serve for 4 men wch is most pitiful if you did knowe as much as I, when people cry out day, and night, Oh that they were in England without their lymbes and would not care to lose any lymbe to be in England againe, yea, though they beg from door to door, for we live in feare of the Enimy every hour, yet we have had a Combate with them on the Sunday before Shrovetyde, and we tooke two alive, and make slaves of them, but it was by pollicie, for we are in great danger; for our Plantation is very weake, by reason of the dearth, and sicknes, of our Companie, for we came but Twentie for the marchaunts, and they are halfe dead Just; and we looke every hour When two more should goe, yet there came some other men yet to live with us, of which there is but one alive; and our Lieutenant is dead, and his father and his brother, and there was some 5 or 6 of the last yeares 20 of wch there is but 3 left, so that we are faine to get other men to plant with us, and yet we are but 32 to fight against 3000 if they should Come, and the nighest help that We have is ten miles of us, and when the rogues overcame this place last, they slew 80 Persons how then shall we doe for we lie even in their teeth.

Source: Susan M. Kingsley, ed., The Records of the Virginia Company of London, vol. 4 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1935), 58.