John Rolfe's Characteristics Of Individualism In Jamestown

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John Rolfe arrived in Jamestown with the intent to profit off tobacco by creating his own. Rolfe’s contribution of tobacco farming in Jamestown helped establish the characteristic of individualism in the American mind because he decided one day to try to make money off of tobacco farming, which meant that he had developed the skill that is self-reliance since he was the first to do this with no help from anyone but himself. As years passed, his tobacco business had grown and earned him a lot of wealth. When other settlers noticed, they chose to copy Rolfe’s idea and establish their own tobacco farms as well. Due to so many people participating in tobacco farming, they had to seek better soil and resources elsewhere which led to isolation. Since these farms were so spread out, farmers had to rely on themselves when problems occurred which again adds to the concept of individualism. …show more content…

The labor law of 1661 said that if a white indentured servant were to run away with a black indentured servant and the white person was caught, then they would have to finish both their own contract as well as the contract of the black persons. In applying this law, it taught white people that if they were to interact with a black person then they would be punished. The labor law of 1662 stated that the race of the child born in Virginia would be determined by the race and status of their mother whom was most likely black. These labor laws alienated Africans so that it set a mindset for white against black, they were no longer in unity or had shared experiences, and this created a system where the Europeans saw themselves as higher than black individuals which set the ground for racism and

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