The first Polish immigrants came to the
Jamestown colony in October 1608, during the "
second supply", twelve years before the
Pilgrims arrived in
Massachusetts. These early settlers were brought as skilled artisans by the English soldier–adventurer
Captain John Smith, and included a
glass blower, a pitch and tar maker, a
soap maker and a timberman. There were six Polish men that traveled with him in 1603; their names were never known definitely until 1943, when historian Karol Wachtl searched through historical Polish pamphlets in war-torn France dating to the mid-19th century. Although it is not known what documents he used in his findings, his publication, "Polonia w Ameryce" was accurate in naming the settlers. Two of these workers would later save Smith's life in an attack by
Native Americans Contemporary historical accounts refer to this first group of foreign craftsmen as Dutchmen and Poles. The foreign craftsmen began producing glassware, pitch, and potash soon after their arrival in 1608. These goods were used in the colony, but were also important as they were the first goods exported from the colony to Europe. "
Pamiętnik handlowca" ("A Merchantilist's memoir") was rumored to have surfaced in the United States and to have confirmed the names of the settlers. The memoir was to have been written by Zbigniew Stefanski, a Pole who lived in the Jamestown colony with John Smith and later to have written his memoir in
Amsterdam,
Netherlands in 1625. The memoir was to have revealed much about the Jamestown colony, and to have detailed stories about how Polish settlers taught the pioneers how to dig wells for drinking water, fought a strike for their right to vote, and introduced the settlers to
baseball. Stefanski's purported memoir changed the perception of Jamestown history; it is known from primary English sources that the Poles were hired as skilled artisans, but in Stefanski's memoir, the 6 men were to have been merchants (or at least trading officials) in Poland. 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".
Captain John Smith noted that two craftsmen helped save his life during an
Indian attack that occurred near the glasshouse. (also noted in "
Smith's own journals"). An excavation done in 1948–1949 found four
Hessian crucibles and large quantities of "common green glass". The glass remains of window panes, bottles, and drinking jugs were found. The Glass House and the glass manufacturing industry was started and operated exclusively by the Polish workers. ==Strike==