17th Century | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century
So you have decided that you would have a better life in the new world of America. If you are traveling to New England, you may be pursuing religious freedom and bringing your family. If you were traveling to the southern colonies, you were probably just going by yourself to make your fortune.
Taking a sea voyage to Maine was a challenging task. What is the voyage like and what do you bring with your family? To start, the voyage costs between 3 pounds and 9 pounds per person, children were typically half price. Three pounds is about $640 in 2025 U.S. currency and in the early 1700’s would typically be a months wage for a skilled tradesman. If you did not have the required funds, you could become an indentured servant to a merchant in America for a period of time (ranging from 4 to 7 years). Likely, you sail on a schooner, a two masted ship about 100 feet long and 16 feet wide. The sailing journey varies in length due to the weather conditions experienced during the voyage. It normally took between 6-10 weeks but it could be faster or slower. Voyage conditions were poor and passengers faced disease, shipwreck or possibly piracy.
What do you bring to start a new life for your family in Maine and become a farmer?
Food and drink: Non-perishable items were crucial for the voyage. This included hard tack (a dried biscuit that needed to be soaked in liquid), dried beef, salt pork, oats, peas, wheat, and salt packed in barrels. They would also bring barrels of beer or cider (since fresh water went bad) and smaller items like butter, vinegar, and cheese.
Clothing: A sufficient supply of durable clothing was essential for protection against the elements. Several pairs of leather shoes were important.
Bedding: Settlers would have brought bedding to ensure comfort and warmth during the voyage and upon arrival.
Arms: Weapons were necessary for defense and hunting.
Household goods: This would include a variety of necessary items for setting up a new home, such as cooking pots and other kitchenware.
Tools: Essential tools for building and farming were a priority, such as axes, saws, and hammers.
Items for establishing a farm
• Livestock: Families needed animals to establish a new farm. They would bring goats for milk, sheep, pigs, and cattle (including oxen for farm work). They would also bring fowl, and those who could afford it, a horse.
• Seeds: They would bring their own seeds for crops to cultivate and other provisions to sustain them.
Other essentials
• Religious books: Many early settlers, including those in New England, were motivated by religious freedom and brought religious texts with them.
Settlers needed to understand how to plant crops successfully in Maine as the soil conditions, climate and length of growing season was different than England. The knowledge of the local natives was a critical resource for the success of the colonial farmer. Corn was an important crop to the Colonists. It was different than the sweet corn of today but instead it was dried into corn meal for bread, porridge and stews. The planting of corn also included native knowledge of using herring planted with the seed to act as fertilizer for the corn. The natives also taught the colonial farmer about planting the “three sisters” — planting corn, beans and squash together. Once the corn began to grow, they would plant beans and the corn stalks would provide support for the climbing vines. Squash vines spread horizontally creating a living mulch that shades the soil, helps to retain moisture and suppresses weeds. The squash prickly vines also deterred pests like raccoons. The beans added nitrogen to the soil, an essential ingredient for the heavy feeding corn and squash.