The Peculiar Origins Of Mail-Order Brides In Colonial America
In the early 1600s, hundreds of bachelors lived in their own colony — free, but lonely. It was obvious what they needed, but how could all these rough-and-tumble bachelors find wives in an unexplored land? The answer, to them, was simple: they'd have to send for wives via mail. Yes, mail-order brides have existed since well before the dawn of the internet — even before there was a proper postal service. And although it may seem unbelievable today, mail-order brides were essential to the foundation of the United States.
The first settlement
After an expedition spearheaded by the Virginia Company of London, English settlers founded "James Fort" — later known as Jamestown — in Virginia. Their first attempt at establishing a colony in Roanoke had resulted in the mysterious disappearances of over 115 people, so it was essential that Jamestown was a success. While it eventually became famous as the first permanent English settlement in the U.S., Jamestown was characterized by its wild and rebellious atmosphere in its early days. The settlers were unruly, adventurous, and undisciplined.
Finding their feet
Their bad tempers may have been motivated by very real fears, however. You see, life in Jamestown was far from a picnic. Starvation and disease ravished the Jamestown population, and it forced the settlers to adapt by expanding their agricultural abilities. They diversified into tobacco crops, for instance, and it made some folks wealthy. Despite this, not everyone was happy. Aside from 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. A society governed by rugged, 17th-century-era masculinity could physically survive, but could it thrive? Well, without women, the male settlers couldn't marry. Although 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 wouldn't last beyond one generation. Obviously, life without women wasn't only an empty one, but an untenable one.
An unattractive pitch
Why was there such an enormous gender imbalance in Jamestown? The women had a good reason for staying at home while the men sailed off in search of new lands. 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. If their lives were already difficult in Great Britain, imagine how much worse it would be in an unruly colony! And from there, Jamestown only continued to deteriorate.
