ON OCTOBER 1, 1608 a group of Polish settlers landed on the American Continent to assist the financially faltering Jamestown Settlement in Virginia. The Poles were hard workers and immediately began to clear land, build shelters, dig wells and create small industries which quickly made Capt. John Smith's community a financial success. The settled Polish pioneers proved to be such a great asset to this first English Colony in the New World that more Poles were invited to settle in Jamestown. The Polish settlers were recognized as fine craftsmen and good soldiers. In 1609, when the Indians set an ambush to capture and kill Capt. John Smith, the Poles saved his life and captured the Indian Chief.
But even in this early American settlement bigotry was evident. In 1619, all men of English descent in the Virginia colony were given the right to share in their own government. The Poles, however, were denied this right. Angry at the inequality the Poles staged a protest at the first Virginia Assembly on July 30, 1619 and as a more effective protest the Poles refused to work until they were given the same voting privileges as those of the English settlers. Thus, the first labor strike in America occurred, not for money but for liberty! The strike was most effective: Governor Yeardley and the Legislature quickly realized that if the colony sent empty ships to England the consequences could be very unpleasant, since practically all of the profits realized came as a result of the products that the Polish-organized industries had produced. The Poles quickly received equal rights and the right to vote and are thus called The Pioneers of American Liberty and Democracy!
No comments:
Post a Comment