Jamestown Polish craftsmen

[9] English writer Richard Hakluyt wrote in 1586 that colonization would require "men skillful in burning of Sope ashes, and in making of Pitch and Tarre, and Rosen, to be fetched out of Prussia and Poland, which are thence to be had for small wages, being there in manner of slaves.

[10] Nonetheless, famed settlers known today include Michał Łowicki, Zbigniew Stefański, Jan Mata, and Stanisław Sadowski.

[14] No mention of the religious background of the Polish settlers was made, and historian James Pula suggests that the Poles were likely Protestant because contemporary English sources such as Richard Hakluyt's in 1584 explicitly said no Catholic artisans should be used because of "the special inclination they have of favor to the King of Spain".

[15] Captain John Smith noted that two craftsmen helped save his life during an Indian attack that occurred near the glasshouse.

[10] Subsequently, the Poles established the first bilingual schools in the New World, teaching both Polish and English and later extending the curriculum to include Latin and German.

[20] The painting also shows Poles in tight-fitting trousers and bright decorations characteristic of the mountaineer region, but the black summer cap tops were clearly Krakovian.

Szyk explained to Waldo that they were shown as peasants rather than artisans because doing so allowed more creative license in making folk costumes and creating a distinctly Polish look.