Pamiętnik handlowca (A Merchant's Memoir, or Memoirs of a Merchant; in Latin, Memorialium commercatori) is the name of a purported[1] diary[2] written by a Polish merchant, Zbigniew Stefański, in 1625. No copy of the original text is known to exist.[1] The diary was said to be written in Old Polish and to contain a first-hand account of the Jamestown Colony in Virginia. It was claimed to be the only extant primary source from the Jamestown Colony that provides the perspective of Polish artisans who had been brought in by Captain John Smith in 1608.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] As the existence of the diary has been confirmed by only a single researcher, its veracity and very existence have been questioned.[1]
The Memoir is said to have surfaced in Chicago, Illinois, in 1947, when a person offered to sell it to Mieczysław Haiman, the director of the Polish Museum of America.[1] The book was popularized through the writings of the journalist and ethnographer Arthur Waldo, who claimed to have seen it and to have made a partial copy for his records, but more recently, researchers have questioned the authenticity of the source, which cannot be located in any museum, library, or collection. Waldo claimed that his copy had been given away and refused to provide further details to fellow researchers. James S. Pula in 2008 concluded, "Given all of the vain attempts to locate so much as a single reference to the Pamietnik, let alone an extant copy, it would appear that, unless some independent verification surfaces, Stefański's memoir must be rejected as a legitimate source."[1]
Contents and importedit
The Memoir allegedly revealed much about the Jamestown Colony and gave details of how Polish settlers taught the English pioneers how to dig wells for drinking water, fought a strike for their right to vote, and introduced the settlers to baseball.[1] The book also allegedly confirmed the names of the six Polish settlers in Jamestown, which had previously been known only from secondary sources, often written over 100 years later. The purported existence of the diary may have helped change the perception of Jamestown history. The Poles are known, from primary English sources, to have been hired as skilled artisans, but in Stefański's memoir the six men were to have been presented as merchants or at least as trading officials in Poland.[11]
^ abcdefPula, James S. (2008). "Fact vs. Fiction: What Do We Really Know About The Polish Presence In Early Jamestown?". The Polish Review. 53 (4): 477–493. JSTOR 25779776.
^Barbour, Philip L. (January 1964). "The Identity of the First Poles in America". The William and Mary Quarterly. 21 (1): 77–92. doi:10.2307/1923357. JSTOR 1923357.
^Staff (September 28, 1958). "Jamestown Pioneers From Poland". Polish American Congress. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
^Holshouser, Joshua D.; Brylinsk-Padnbey, Lucyna; Kielbasa, Katarzyna (July 2007). . Polish American Congress. Archived from the original on July 24, 2015. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
^Henderson, George; Olasij, Thompson Dele (January 10, 1995). Migrants, Immigrants, and Slaves: Racial and Ethnic Groups in America. University Press of America. p. 116. ISBN978-0819197382.
Library of Congress: Evolution of the Virginia Colony, 1610-1630
April 13, 2024
pamiętnik, handlowca, merchant, memoir, memoirs, merchant, latin, memorialium, commercatori, name, purported, diary, written, polish, merchant, zbigniew, stefański, 1625, copy, original, text, known, exist, diary, said, written, polish, contain, first, hand, a. Pamietnik handlowca A Merchant s Memoir or Memoirs of a Merchant in Latin Memorialium commercatori is the name of a purported 1 diary 2 written by a Polish merchant Zbigniew Stefanski in 1625 No copy of the original text is known to exist 1 The diary was said to be written in Old Polish and to contain a first hand account of the Jamestown Colony in Virginia It was claimed to be the only extant primary source from the Jamestown Colony that provides the perspective of Polish artisans who had been brought in by Captain John Smith in 1608 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 As the existence of the diary has been confirmed by only a single researcher its veracity and very existence have been questioned 1 Polish artisan glassblower in Jamestown Virginia circa 1608 Contents 1 Doubts about authenticity 2 Contents and import 3 See also 4 References 5 Further reading 6 External linksDoubts about authenticity editThe Memoir is said to have surfaced in Chicago Illinois in 1947 when a person offered to sell it to Mieczyslaw Haiman the director of the Polish Museum of America 1 The book was popularized through the writings of the journalist and ethnographer Arthur Waldo who claimed to have seen it and to have made a partial copy for his records but more recently researchers have questioned the authenticity of the source which cannot be located in any museum library or collection Waldo claimed that his copy had been given away and refused to provide further details to fellow researchers James S Pula in 2008 concluded Given all of the vain attempts to locate so much as a single reference to the Pamietnik let alone an extant copy it would appear that unless some independent verification surfaces Stefanski s memoir must be rejected as a legitimate source 1 Contents and import editThe Memoir allegedly revealed much about the Jamestown Colony and gave details of how Polish settlers taught the English pioneers how to dig wells for drinking water fought a strike for their right to vote and introduced the settlers to baseball 1 The book also allegedly confirmed the names of the six Polish settlers in Jamestown which had previously been known only from secondary sources often written over 100 years later The purported existence of the diary may have helped change the perception of Jamestown history The Poles are known from primary English sources to have been hired as skilled artisans but in Stefanski s memoir the six men were to have been presented as merchants or at least as trading officials in Poland 11 See also editColony of Virginia List of Polish Americans List of Slovak Americans Polish Americans Slovak AmericansReferences edit a b c d e f Pula James S 2008 Fact vs Fiction What Do We Really Know About The Polish Presence In Early Jamestown The Polish Review 53 4 477 493 JSTOR 25779776 Barbour Philip L January 1964 The Identity of the First Poles in America The William and Mary Quarterly 21 1 77 92 doi 10 2307 1923357 JSTOR 1923357 Congressional Record July 5 1956 Congressional Record 1956 Congressional Record pp 11905 11906 Retrieved October 1 2014 Congressional Record 1975 Congressional Record 1975 Congressional Record Retrieved October 1 2014 Congressional Record 1976 Congressional Record 1976 Congressional Record Retrieved October 1 2014 Staff September 28 1958 Jamestown Pioneers From Poland Polish American Congress Retrieved November 30 2014 Holshouser Joshua D Brylinsk Padnbey Lucyna Kielbasa Katarzyna July 2007 Jamestown The Birth of American Polonia 1608 2008 The Role and Accomplishments of Polish Pioneers in the Jamestown Colony Polish American Congress Archived from the original on July 24 2015 Retrieved October 3 2014 Henderson George Olasij Thompson Dele January 10 1995 Migrants Immigrants and Slaves Racial and Ethnic Groups in America University Press of America p 116 ISBN 978 0819197382 Robertson Patrick November 8 2011 Robertson s Book of Firsts Who Did What for the First Time Bloomsbury Publishing ISBN 978 1596915794 Uminski Sigmund H 1974 The Polish pioneers in Virginia Polish Publication Society of America p 8 ASIN B0006CA8QI Waldo True Heroes of Jamestown p 210 Further reading edit Jamestown Colony A Political Social and Cultural History 2007 Jamestown Pioneers from Poland 1608 1958 1958 Poles in the United States 1912 External links editCraftsmen 1608 Historical Marker Route 31 Jamestown Virginia Following in Godspeeds Wake Generall Historie of Virginia by Captaine John Smith Jamestown 1607 Historic Jamestowne Library of Congress Evolution of the Virginia Colony 1610 1630 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Pamietnik handlowca amp oldid 1216436829, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
