transportation-as-punishment

The chapter details the practice of transporting convicts from England to the American colonies as a form of punishment and forced labor.

1 chapter across 1 book

American Gods (2001)Neil Gaiman

Chapter 26

This chapter presents a historical and mythic account of early American colonization through the story of Essie Tregowan, a Cornish girl sentenced to transportation for theft and her subsequent life as an indentured servant in the American colonies. It explores the harsh realities of transportation as punishment, the blending of folklore with colonial life, and Essie's resilience and survival amidst exploitation and hardship. The narrative critiques the sanitized version of American history by revealing the brutal and complex human stories behind colonization.