Question

As a New England farmer, write a letter to relatives in Europe describing your family's daily life as subsistence farmers

Answer 1

Dear Grandmother,
We miss you and send you our love. Life here is very hard. This winter the snow was 6 feet deep and didn't finally melt until May. It was terribly cold. Even with a roaring fire we all slept under six blankets and still felt the cold. We ran out of feed and had to slaughter our horse. I don't know how we'll get rid of the stumps on the newly cleared land.
Bartholomew, Rachel and little William all died from measles in December. A week ago Eleanor broke her leg and can't walk at all. There are no doctors here; I fear her leg will make her deformed. The parson says God is punishing us for our sins. But Alice and I go to church three times a week and pray constantly. I don't know what sins God is punishing us for.

Love: (your name)