Cultural Encouters Reflectinon

1. What was one thing you learned from the simulations we played in class? How did this help you understand the essential questions better?

I learned that if you participate you have more fun and learn more. It helped me a lot because we found out how hard it was when we came to a disagreement. And how it felt when we met other colonists and when we tried to make peace and it is really working.

2. Reading was a part of Cultural Encounters. When you read the books you were asked to think about your reading. What did you learn about your reading while doing this?

I learned that gentlemen were people that people looked up to and was really wealthy. And had a lot of Indentured servants working for them. 3. Did the journal entries help you to better understand your character? Why or why not? Explain in detail.

Yes, my journal entries did help me understand my character because it told me how he reacted when different things happened. Also what personality he had.

4. What was the best part of your presentation? How could it have been improved?

The best part was when we discussed about the future events. Also when people laughed at our humor. The thing I want to improve is to be more confident instead of stuttering when I talk.

5. What was the biggest learning you gained from this unit? Explain with details.

The biggest thing I learned was that the Pilgrims thought the Native Americans were savages. When they are only environmentally friendly and they use wildlife to make things and the tools are also made from wildlife. But then we know that, not the Pilgrims.

Joseph Windsor's Journal

02/18/1606

So here I am, standing on the dock staring at The Ocean's Sword to go to the new world. I have two indentured servants carrying 2 large trunks each. I, Joseph Windsor, am a 35 year old man with a wife and 2 kids. Mary Windsor, my wife, is 33 and we got married on April 13th, 13 years ago. I have a son and daughter, Joseph Jr. is 10 and Annie is 5. I turned around to make sure the kids wanted to go. I looked at them, they nodded because they knew what I was going to say. Mary and Annie looked and felt scared and nervous, I could see Joseph being nervous but he was hiding it with his pride and honor. Joseph was helping me take up a crate of furs, this was a way of paying to go on the ship.

We are moving because all our land is dying out at a standard rate and we are losing wealth so we've decided to go to the new world.

03/18/1606

It's been one month already and Annie is starting to get a cough. Mary and I are worried. Joseph just threw up and so did I a few minutes ago. We are very hungry but we can still live. We have never gone out to sea before but Joseph and I have been fishing before and that was the deepest water we've been in. We all miss our home but God has given me a good signal that the new world would change our lives. We pray to see land again.

We were in a storm three days ago and two crew men went over board and drowned. Annie and Mary were safe on the lower deck so Joseph and I had to help out with leaks and ropes connected to the main mast. Everyone was scared, including Joseph and I. Mary and I were desperate to see land for the children and the both of us.

05/14/1606

We settled in pretty well but of course the first 6 months is definitely harder than if you were there for 2 years. It's late Spring so it's easier. There are many trees and four carpenters so the colony's houses are being built faster than we expected. The problem is there aren't as many blacksmiths to make nails and tools for everybody to help. The women and young ladies were bringing the men water and bread. The new world seems a lot better than England because back home there were a lot of diseases and our land was dying out. We were losing our wealth but here everything is 3 times better. All 6 farmers are working very hard to make food, we still have a month worth of food on the boat. Sometimes there were too many trees that had to be cut down to make a farm but all the wood went to shelter. And all the men couldn't work 8 hours a day taking down trees. On average we would take down 10 trees a day. And these trees are very tall so when one goes down 2 or 3 comes down with it. My family's house has been built and the ground has been cultivated and crops are being grown. I have given some advice to some servants and 1 of them works for me.

09/23/1606

We've found out that Native Americans have a village next to us. Joseph has a problem with the natives, he thinks they are uncivilized because it is said that they live in huts made of straw, mud, and cow manure. Mary, Annie and I feel that it's very nice to have another colony next to us. Some other people thought the same way we do, most of them are our friends. But there were people who had a dislike towards the natives and a few loathed them. Mary and I helped them to picture the good in the natives. I sometimes miss being back in England because I miss my parents and siblings. They went their separate ways after I turned 18. I am the youngest in my childhood family.

03/12/1607

It's winter now and everything is a lot harder than we thought. Most of the crops died and we're not sure if everyone has food. We've had two blizzards and many storms. None have died but many are sick. Mary is getting a cough. I warm her up with my furs and my body warmth. We tried to get information from the natives because they have survived these winters before. They were no help at all. But we, the colony, feel like we are doing a good job for this kind of winter. Before all this, I've been doing good with what I do. I've given 20 servants jobs and Mary has sold jumpers and blankets. On average we've received something equal to 10 pieces of gold a month. Mary is teaching 3 kids once a week and she earns a chicken a lesson, a lesson is 3 hours. Native tribes are also trading with us and so is the rest of the colony. The laws in the colony are very fair and there aren't as many as England. The new world has been great.

Molly's Dream

What dreams did Molly have?

She wanted to be exactly like Mrs. Simmons because of all of her skills in samplers and sewing. Also intelligence and because Mrs. Simmons has her own business. Molly wants a cottage right next to a pond with ducks and geese and maybe a little dog. She also wanted her family to be whole again.

What will she need to do to make her dreams come true?

Start her own business be a seamstress after her indenture. So she can make money to build a cottage near a pond and maybe get the family back together again.

A New Kind Of Freedom

What convinced Johann to move to America?

When Pastor Vogel told Johann about how much land they would have when they moved (which is 50 acres per person, altogether 450 acres) to America. If they stayed in Germany the Duke's cavalry will be arrested.

How did he feel about the decision?

When he grow the crops back in Germany he started to plant other things like Indian corn, fruit, and wheat (which became very valuable) so they planted more of it. He felt happy and proud to be a Pennsylvanian.

Immigration

Now what do I know?

Most people came from Great Britain because they believed in different things and America religious enforcements so they moved there. But the African Americans were slaves until the Civil War ended 1865 after the Union won (The Northern states).

What do I know.

Why do people move?

Today most people move because of jobs and schools. I think that back in the day of the pilgrim age they moved because of weather, earth, source of water and to find the plains. The plains because it's easier to grow plants and crops. Most plains have a river/stream near by, so there's water, fish and maybe some other sea animals.

What do we do when people don't think, act or speak the same way we do?

We sometimes talk about it and reason with it. If the problem is religion then if the country is against a small population that are fugitives may have to move like the Pilgrims. Pilgrims were in Europe they were persecuted because they believed in something else and that's how the ended up in North America. Some start wars which don't turn out good on both sides. Like in World War 2 Hitler caused the Holocaust where all the Jews had died and so did Hitler. Religious persecution has been going on since the starting of man kind.