The Mail-Order Brides of Jamestown, Virginia (Essay Sample)

Student’s Name Professor’s Name Course Date The Mail-Order Brides of Jamestown, Virginia The article “The Mail-Order Brides of Jamestown, Virginia” from the Atlantic by Marcia Zug informs the audience about the shortage of women in the 17th century in Jamestown due to the lack of incentives for women to immigrate, a challenge that was addressed by the Virginia Company treasurer Edwin Sandys, who offered women substantial incentives to get married in the town as well as the government, which was interested in kidnappings for the colonies. Zug develops this information by looking at the history of Jamestown, the activities of the people, the place of marriage in the community, as well as the future of gender imbalance in the colony and compares it to the need to have an influx of women to the entire economy, as the town would not survive through men alone for there ought to have been a means such as kidnappings or incentive offerings to help start new lives. The purpose of the article is to reveal the occurrences in history for Jamestown, exhibit the contrast between the historical position of the colony and that of the present time, and show that the concept of gender inequality could prompt any action to help ...