The Journey to America and Settlement

In the late 15th century there was a buzz in the air that sent shockwaves across Europe. An entirely new world was being discovered and countries all over Europe wanted to be in the action. This excitement lasted for centuries from Christopher Columbus to American westward expansion. To understand what life was like for the people first settling and moving to America, one must look at their journey and their start in the so called “New World” as this is what made and broke many men in their startup in America. This playlist consists of songs that, although written much later than the events talked about, aim to show what some of the emotion and thoughts of some of the explorers, farmers, and pilgrims may have thought as they made their journey.

There were many different groups of people aboard the ships headed to America. A common theme among them was a sense of hope for a better life, and more riches than they had in Europe. The song “Theme from New York, New York”, originally sang by Liza Minelli and made popular by Frank Sinatra, has vivid imagery that describes the atmosphere for many people boarding the ships for the new world. The song’s opening verse says, “Start spreading the news, I’m leaving today.” When Frank Sinatra sang the opening verse, his voice was one of excitement to go with the large orchestra playing in the background. This could have very well been how the conquistadors of the Spanish Empire felt as they were headed to America. This is captured by a quote from a person in the textbook, “Their motives, as one soldier explained, were ‘to serve God and the king, and also to get rich.’” (America a Narrative History, 20). The same thoughts were probably running through the minds of people coming because “the land was plentiful and cheap, and laborers were scarce and expensive.” (America A Narrative History, 84). Whether people were coming so they that might get rich selling tobacco or coming to work so that they might make more money than they were in Europe, Europeans could feel the buzz in the harbor awaiting the next ship to leave for the Americas.

For many people, early on their journey to the Americas they realized that it probably wouldn’t be as easy of a time as they pictured it would be. The song “Praise You in This Storm” by the band Casting Crowns is a Christian song but comparisons can be drawn from the opening line. The line can be seen as describing what life on the ships over to America could have felt like. “I was sure by now, God you would have reached down, And wiped our tears away, Stepped in and saved the day.” The majority of Europeans coming over to the Americas were confessing Christians. Many who thought the ship ride over would be smooth sailing were sadly mistaken by slaves rebelling on the ships, diseases ravaging the people, and in some cases stormy seas throwing boats off course. Slaves rebelling was one of the many things to worry about in fact, “[…] almost one in every ten of the floating prisons experienced revolt.” (America A Narrative History, 76). These European men who would do anything to have a new life or become rich were lucky to survive the trip over to the new world.

One of the Beatle’s most famous songs “Here Comes the Sun” must have been the way most of the Europeans felt when they saw land after being at sea for so long. The song has a very uplifting vibe to it and descriptions of spring coming back after the winter. In many cases being on a cramped and wet boat and then stepping out onto land probably made the people getting off think, “Here comes the sun and I say, It’s alright.” This joy could not be held for very long however because many of the people getting off had to find work or in the case of the settlers of Jamestown, start from scratch. The so-called “American work ethic” was probably born from these very people. In “Whatchu Mean” by Lecrae he says, “We been out here workin’ summer after summer, session after session boy we did a ton of.” A man by the name of John Smith practically took over Jamestown while it was struggling to get off its feet and realized that they would have to work very hard in order to make a good life for themselves. In describing Smith’s leadership the textbook says, “Smith imposed strict military discipline in the colony and forced everyone to work long days in the fields.” (America A Narrative History, 46). While most were not as extreme as the Jamestown situation people coming to America would hold on to the belief when they got there that hard work would pay off in the end.

While the majority of the people in America didn’t own plantations and didn’t have vast riches because of growing tobacco in Georgia or owning a ship making business in Boston many of the people were better off in the colonies than they were in England. Post Malone’s song “Congratulations” is a song about how he made it to the top of the music business against all the odds and proved everyone wrong about him. In the line, “They said I wouldn’t be nothing. Now, they always say congratulations” No matter where in Europe the people were coming from; whether it was the gold seeking Spanish or the pilgrims and tobacco growers of England, many of the people coming to England from Europe were making better lives for themselves.

On the other hand, many of the people living in the Americas as indentured servants found that their life was not anything like they were told it was going to be. Although many of them shared in the excitement and the hope of a different life with other Europeans coming over to America, many of their ideas about America were changed as soon as they stepped onto the shores. The textbook defines indentured servants as, “colonists who exchanged several years of labor for the cost of passage to America and an eventual grant of land.” On paper this sounded like a great deal but for many of the people, “[…] life was harsh and their rights were limited… Masters could whip servants and extend their length of service as penalty for bad behavior.” (America A Narrative History, 47-48).

The journey to America by Europeans to try to start a new life here had very mixed results. While some people thrived in the new environment and became very wealthy others were not able to rise to that standard. The one thing that all people settling America and coming to find a better life here had in common was the journey. America became the melting pot (or salad bowl if you like) that it is today because of the many people that journeyed here in the country’s beginning. The songs I mentioned may not have been written at the same time but they all can be related to what life was like for arriving Europeans and the emotions they felt. The journey to America was the first test on a long road.