I was the Founding Father of the United States

Chapter 5 Landing on the New World

Upon seeing this, everyone realized that the tax collector happened to be an acquaintance of their captain, and they immediately relaxed and greeted Tax Collector Charles with smiles on their faces.

That's how it was in Britain during that era; having connections made things easier, and at least the Caribbean goods they smuggled on the ship were certainly saved.

Charles, his eyes darting around, feigned displeasure and loudly emphasized, "...Hey! George! You still owe me five pounds of pampering money! I think now is a good time to pay it back, otherwise I'll go and have a good talk with your wife about it..."

"...bullshit!"

Captain George's expression changed upon hearing this, and he immediately interrupted, "If you dare tell Maria about this, you won't see a single shilling!"

"...Fuck! I want pounds! Not paper money! Your Rhodes Island paper money is worthless!"

Charles chuckled and cursed, then thought for a moment, leaned closer and whispered a reminder: "George, you'd better get rid of those banknotes in your hand as soon as possible!"

When I left the mainland, I heard that the bigwigs in London were already considering banning the colonies from issuing their own paper money... and that tariffs would also be imposed on the molasses trade you're involved in!

George's expression finally turned serious. He nodded slightly, but seeing the two soldiers following behind the other man, he didn't say anything more. Instead, he asked the other man to inspect the cargo on the ship.

When the Chenna returned from Cuba, it brought back mostly various tropical products, the bulk of which were sugar and molasses, as well as goods such as tobacco and spices. In addition, there were eight young female slaves that George's boss, Mr. Aaron Lopez, the largest slave trader in Rhode Island, had specifically requested.

Rhode Island was not in Pennsylvania, where the Quakers held a strong position, so the practice of slavery was not condemned, though it certainly didn't have a good reputation. The main reason was that the practice of slavery did not conform to Puritan religious beliefs, especially the Quakers who advocated equality for all and gender. Pennsylvania Congressman Benjamin Franklin of Philadelphia once published an article stating that slavery was not in accordance with Christian morality.

However, moral condemnation can never outweigh economic interests. Slavery was indispensable to the labor-scarce North American colonies, especially the plantation economy in the South. Without a continuous supply of enslaved labor every year, places like Virginia and Maryland could not sustainably produce crops such as wheat, tobacco, indigo, and cotton.

Compared to the South, New England had poor agricultural conditions and mainly focused on developing industry and commerce. As a result, it had to import food, so there was relatively little slavery. The slaves were mainly domestic slaves. The eight female slaves brought back on the Jenna were to serve the Lopez family and, incidentally, to bear children for the slave servants.

In fact, in Chen Wenbin's opinion, the skin color of those eight female slaves was not too dark. They were mostly of mixed African, Native American and Spanish descent, and their appearance was roughly similar to that of the darker-skinned Latin beauties of later generations. However, since their mothers were slaves, they could not escape the fate of being sold in the slave market.

It was only after witnessing firsthand the sailors throwing dead enslaved Africans into the sea on their way from Africa to Cuba, and the scenes of female enslaved Africans being selected in slave markets, that Chen Wenbin felt the immense pressure and sense of crisis regarding survival...

If things aren't handled properly, this Asian man, who looks different from white people, might not fare much better than these black slaves!

So he put in the same effort he had during the 100 days leading up to the college entrance exam, studying English grammar and writing with Pastor Johnson, learning medical knowledge of the time (Pastor Johnson's official position on the Jenna was doctor), making full use of his medical knowledge to treat sick sailors, and always paying attention to his appearance to make himself look like a "civilized person" of the time. In the end, he was baptized and joined the Baptist Church, and produced the groundbreaking blueprints for the spinning jenny, intending to temporarily secure a relatively safe position by using mutual benefits.

But the unease deep within him continued to torment him. If it weren't for a will to control his own destiny, he would have collapsed long ago...

……

A wave of dizziness came from his feet, interrupting Chen Wenbin's thoughts. He staggered a couple of steps before regaining his balance. It turned out that after three weeks, he was experiencing "land sickness" upon stepping onto land again.

"…Take a deep breath! That will make you feel better!" Reverend Jason's voice came from behind, so he followed his example and took deep breaths of the slightly fishy-smelling dock air. After doing this more than ten times, he gradually got used to the ground, which was no longer bumpy.

"...There are no infected people on board, so we only need to stay in Newport for one day before continuing to Providence, where our textile factory will be established."

As Pastor Jason explained, he led Chen Wenbin toward the wooden benches near the dock. Andrew, who was only eighteen years old, and David, who was in his early twenties, followed behind them, each carrying a flintlock pistol, to provide protection.

This was Captain George's order; he had bet a lot of money on Chen Wenbin and didn't want anything to happen to him.

Although the principle of the Jenna spinning machine (renamed after the Jenna by Chen Wenbin) was not too complicated, Captain George still didn't quite understand it after Chen Wenbin and Reverend Jason's careful explanation, but he trusted Reverend Jason's judgment.

Even if the new factory fails, Chen Wenbin's miraculous medical skills can still easily pay off the debts. There are quite a few wealthy people in the North American colonies suffering from various illnesses, and the value of an excellent doctor is absolutely immeasurable.

At Newport Wharf, Chen Wenbin chatted with Pastor Jason while observing the crowd on the dock, while the unloading workers and shop employees nearby were also sizing up this "gentleman" with an Asian face.

Indeed, Chen Wenbin's attire at this moment was not much different from that of a wealthy gentleman in the colony. He wore a black, tight-fitting double-breasted coat over a silk vest, white tight-fitting riding breeches, a tricorn hat on his head, and a pair of long leather boots on his feet.

Aside from lacking accessories such as a wig, pocket watch, and cane, he was dressed in typical New England manor house attire, befitting a gentleman of high social standing. Combined with his height of 1.84 meters, he was very attractive to ladies.

If it weren't for Andrew and David standing guard like doormen with guns, some brave lady would probably have already come up to chat them up... This is what Pastor Jason told him with a smile. Chen Wenbin didn't know if it was true or not, but the glances from the ladies passing by suggested that it was somewhat possible.

"...This is a new world! Robin! People can be called by the Lord at any time due to various accidents! Therefore, people often do not hide their desires for what they want, including a suitable spouse!"

Pastor Jason looked admiringly at Chen Wenbin, who was puffing out his clothes, and explained with a smile, "You also need to get used to this style as soon as possible, boldly pursue everything you want, and resolutely defend it!"

After all, God is on your side, isn't he?