Commodity and Virginia seminar work

Question 1

Meaning

Answer 1

Useful resource because it can be sold or traded

Question 2

Indigenous ideas of commodity

Answer 2

Stewards of the land
Taking the natural resources and giving back to it

Question 3

English ideas of commodity

Answer 3

Take what they wanted rather than everything from something
E.g using only the fur of the buffalo rather than the entire carcass (like the indigenous)

Question 4

Commodity as a western definition

Answer 4

Unlikely the indigenous had the same understanding as the English

Question 5

In terms of the land, the indigenous

Answer 5

Didn’t see land as property
No fixed positions or boundaries on the land
Symbiotic relationship with the land

Question 6

John White images (Tortoiseshell)

Answer 6

Shell as luxury item
Cultural capital, indicates the owner was wealthy
Turned into combs/other small items such as trinket boxes or jewellery

Question 7

John White images (Tortoise)
Indigenous population

Answer 7

Commodity
Food source
Spiritual or symbolic product

Question 8

John White images (Tortoise)
English population

Answer 8

Eaten by the English
In Bermuda, law put in place to prevent the population from being wiped out - keeping the food supply going

Question 9

John White images (corn)

Answer 9

3 areas growing maize corn
Continuous provisions of corn
Newly sprouted, still green, ready for harvesting

Question 10

John White images (Indian gardens)

Answer 10

Depict the indigenous as civilised (perceived to have been hunter-gathers)
Seen as cultural capital when the English took over the land

Question 11

John White images (flier with tobacco pouch)

Answer 11

Sharman of the indigenous group
Tobacco as a drug to enter the spirit world
Becomes the one commodity that grows well in Virginia

Question 12

Tobacco as a commodity

Answer 12

Indigenous strand perceived as too bitter by those back in England
John Rolfe credited with bringing tobacco from the Spanish colonies into Virginia
More palatable for English

Question 13

Images by John White

Answer 13

Represent a potential commodity

Question 14

Salt as a commodity

Answer 14

Used to preserve food
Many early English people in Virginia died from salt poisoning (from drinking the water)

Question 15

Copper as a commodity

Answer 15

Indication of the status of the indigenous person
Indicated to the English when the travelled up the James river they would find copper deposits (unlikely to find silver or gold)

Question 16

References to commodity in contemporary writing

Answer 16

Very few references until 1620s and 30s

Question 17

When the Virginia Company was well established

Answer 17

Able to allocate specific areas of land for commodity useful to the market back in England

Question 18

Publications in London depicted

Answer 18

Commodities from Virginia being imported to England

Question 19

Found

Answer 19

Items naturally and already in the region

Question 20

Raised

Answer 20

Items needing people to produce/aid in its production

Question 21

Lewes Robert: Merchants Map of Commerce book (1638)

Answer 21

Discusses commodities of Virginia

Question 22

To truck

Answer 22

Meaning to barter
Idea of exchange of commodities with the indigenous peoples

Question 23

2 useful items being traded together
2 different definitions of useful

Answer 23

Glass bead from England had no value
Traded with indigenous people who felt the had value (in exchange for items the English valued)