[Mrs. Don-o]

It's not that "the English" didn't know how to farm, or hunt, or cut trees. It's that these Pilgrims didn't. They were city people, and Leiden's records show that half of them worked in the cloth industry, as weavers, woolcombers, carders, etc. Other occupations, as listed in betrothal records, included tailor, hatmaker, mirror-maker, tobacco seller, tobacco-pipe maker, midwife, and merchant.

The Pilgrims did not bring any large livestock animals on the Mayflower in 1620. In fact, the only animals known with certainty to have come on the Mayflower were two dogs, though it seems likely that they had with them some chickens.

The first three cows arrived at Plymouth on the ship Anne in 1623.

Therefore, it's not that "the English" were not prepared for survival. It's that THESE English were not prepared.

[LS]

I get it, but even “city folk” weren’t that removed from basic survival skills, especially in 1600.

[afraidfortherepublic]

They weren’t prepared in Jamestowne either. 1/2 of the first contingent were “gentlemen” who weren’t used to hard work. They died quickly. Then, a good portion of the rest were soldiers who brought Euronpean armor which was useless and hot in the VA wilderness.