English and Powhatan communications

Lack of communication among people causes disadvantages for all involved. This was certainly true of the attempts at communication between the local Indian population and the English. The Powhatan language was a derivative of the Eastern Algonquian group of languages, which contained many dialects and no written form of communication. Suspicion existed among the Powhatan population concerning the motives of the colonists. While the English were concerned as to how they were being received. This was verified by the attack on the colonists shortly after their arrival at Jamestown. According to John Smith, 17 were wounded and one killed during this attack. This attack quickly reinforced the need for stronger fortifications, leading to the building of a fort. At almost the same time as this attack, a group of 23 men were on a voyage of discovery up the James River to explore for the Northwest Passage, following prior instructions from the Virginia Company Council, the governing body in England. During this voyage, the exploratory party was met all along the river by friendly Indian groups who were eager to trade. This dichotomy was representative of what lay ahead in the relations between these two groups.

African and English communications

The third group, the African people, arrived against their will in 1619 at Point Comfort (modern-day Hampton, Virginia), had no choice other than to adapt to the conditions in which they found themselves. This included learning English customs and language, and having their own traditions ignored or discouraged by those around them. Though Portuguese enslavers had initially taken the African people from what is present-day Angola, it is not clear whether the African people were treated as servants or enslaved persons upon their arrival at Jamestown. Whatever their status, it is clear, according to a Virginia Company report in 1620, that they were not completely free. They were in a condition of forced servitude in which the English extracted their labor and demanded their absolute obedience.

Few in number and living on isolated plantations, African people were surrounded by English customs and language. During the early years of settlement, it was possible for some African people to obtain their freedom. Some free African people bought land, purchased servants and even African enslaved peopleslaves. They alsofarmed tobacco or raised livestock such as cattle or hogs. Anthony and Mary Johnson, who arrived in 1621 and 1622, gained their freedom and had a large farm on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. In 1677, one of the Johnson’s grandsons purchased land in Maryland and named it “Angola.”