My Life as a Shoe Maker

Hi! My name is Halle and I am 27 years old. I feel good and happy that I am going on a ship to the New World because it will take me into a new life. I am feeling very worried because this New World is a new land that no one has ever been in and seen. Feeling scared and nervous is normal because in the ship there are so many people. It won't be very comfortable with no room and all those people. It is hard tostay on a ship for so many days with no land at all because we would be in the middle of the sea. Would we have enough food for every one on the ship? Would I even get enough food in all those days? Would I survive in storms, big rain, big wind and big waves? When I bring my tools like my sewing kit, will I lose it and won't have my job any more? Will my family be safe? I am hoping that I will be safe and I am hoping that this "New World" will be a piece of land that will be good ground for growing food and important crops. I am dreaming of a wonderful wood for shelter and homes and I am dreaming of money from my job, making shoes and fixing shoes. My family is moving because we need a new,healthy,and happy life.

On the ship we had nothing to do and I was very bored. All we did was look outside the blank sea. We got really sea sick and really wanted to stand on land. We didn't get much food and definitely not three meals a day. The whole month was just eating very very little and sitting around with nothing to do. There were big winds and big rain storms. There was thunder which almost knocked us off the ship. After this month I was hoping that we would see land and that way we could find more food and animals but we never saw land.

I'm feeling really happy because we can see land and now we don't have to go through big storms and we won't get ill. Now off the ship we can do more exciting things and won't get bored. We can make shelter for my family and for me. We can go to fur traders who were also in the ship.The tools I brought helped me make shoes! I will get more money and my life will be happy. Everyone here alive are really proud of facing a lot of survival. None of my family mates were killed but my younger sister got ill. It was the season of fall when we arrived to the new world so it was really chilly. On the ship 12 people died because of the bad weather and illness. 10 people fell into the sea because of the high waves that rocked them out. It was really sad how those people got killed so they couldn't reach their destination.

Every one from the Mayflower started finding land to build houses. We cut down a lot of trees for the wood for the fire, the shelter and for cooking and the silver smiths make the pots and pans. I am starting my job now and we are starting with the fur because we came here in winter. The fur traders and the tanners are important to me because the fur trader helps me get fur. The tanner helps me turn the fur into leather. I found some people who are tanners and fur traders who were on the ship so I started my job very early. I had brought all my tools and started going out sewing old shoes for people and also making new shoes. I also brought two trunks and $200 with me on the trip. It was just enough to help me get settled into my profession.

The New World was changing a lot with more and more shelters and more and more food. I would rather stay in my own village in England because The Indians were not very happy about us coming and taking their land. We were attacked between them and 2 people were killed. We tried hiding our prompts from the Indians who tried to steal and take them. Then some of the shelter and homes were shot down and ruined and we didn't know what to do. All we could do was to run away from them and attack back with the guns we brought. Since they were trying to attack us, we tried talking to the head of the Indians. He said he would agree to welcome them in their land. They helped us and taught us how to grow Indian corn and tobacco. They also lended us some of their food.

In the past months the Indians were part of our group and kept giving us and helping us grow food. We so far build even more and more shelter and the Indians became our friends. The hunters went out and learned from the Indians how to sneak and catch animals. The tanners started their work by taking the fur from the hunters and the fur traders and started making leather. Then the tanners passed the fur leather to the shoe makers which is me. Finally in 2 months I started making a lot of money. I took the leather and took out my tools I brought from England in my home village. I started using wood and shaping it into a shoe. Then I started building and sewing the leather around the wood which is shaped as a shoe. It almost took me 2 hours which is usual. Every day this happens and I also started making a lot of money.This trip on the May Flower was good and successful. I am very happy that we all survived which is my family. But the worst part on the ship was the storms. It really killed a lot of people and it really wrecked the May Flower. But it was a rather successful trip to the new world.