The Peculiar Origins Of Mail-Order Brides In Colonial America

You've probably heard about mail-order brides. But that kind of thing has been happening since well before the dawn of the internet — even before there was a proper postal service. What if we told you that this bizarre industry dates back several centuries? Yes, really. And mail-order brides were pretty essential to the foundation of the United States.

The first settlement

It was all to do with who went to North America in the first place. After an expedition spearheaded by the Virginia Company of London, English settlers founded "James Fort" — later known as Jamestown. And while it eventually became famous as the first permanent English settlement in the U.S., Jamestown was originally renowned for another curious reason.

Finding their feet

Life wasn't easy there, either. Starvation and disease ravished the Jamestown population, and it left the settlers having to adapt by expanding their agricultural activities. They diversified into tobacco crops, for instance, and it made some folks wealthy. But despite this, not everyone was happy. Although there was the case of successful tobacco pioneer John Rolfe marrying the famed Native American princess Pocahontas, most men were single.

The grave imbalance

And by 1619, almost all of the inhabitants of Jamestown were male. That meant most of the settlers were unable to find wives. Yet while this inability to find love was indeed a legitimate concern, there was an even larger issue at play. Without women who could conceive children, Jamestown couldn't last beyond one generation.

An unattractive pitch

Why was there such an enormous gender imbalance in Jamestown? Well, many women were reluctant to leave behind their comfortable lives for a future of uncertainty in North America. Then, when reports of famine, starvation, and disease reached England, any open-mindedness the women may have had was likely quashed. And from there, Jamestown only continued to deteriorate.