novelSusiti Chapter 73 German Immigration Plan
Chapter 73 German Immigration Plan
Original shareholders?
For some reason, the way Chen Wenbin said that word always had a special allure... It wasn't because Dr. Chen could hypnotize people, but because Providence Company's development history was just too dazzling, and its original shareholders had made too much money!
It's not just too much, it's practically a total jackpot!
From the initial £3,000 in seed funding to £40,000 in the second round, and then £150,000 in the third round… the company’s valuation will likely rise even further at its upcoming IPO in London!
The one who created this miracle was the young man on the other side. Now there was another opportunity to become an "original shareholder". How could Franklin not be tempted?
So he finally couldn't resist and expressed his willingness to use all his savings to become a shareholder of Southern Development Company.
After all, the promises made by Boss Chen this time are just too tempting!
In his view, this project was far more reliable than the previous Patagonia Pacific company!
He anticipated that the increased efficiency brought about by the Jenna spinning machine would inevitably lead to a surge in European demand for cotton.
Even if Chen Wenbin's clipper boat project failed, even if he did open a slave plantation in North America to produce cotton, he would definitely make a profit!
As for political and policy risks, those are even less of a problem!
In North America, Chen Wenbin had the support of wealthy shareholders from New England, while in the UK, he had royal investment from King George III… From this perspective, the Southern Development Company, which was still only on paper, could almost be seen as a weakened version of the East India Company in North America!
It's important to know that according to the 1763 Proclamation, theoretically, the area west of the Appalachian Mountains was under the jurisdiction of the Crown, and the people of the North American colonies had no right to cross that boundary.
The only company that has obtained a permit for western development from the King is Chen Wenbin's Southern Development Company!
The difference between it and the East India Company is that this company did not obtain a monopolistic franchise, nor did it have its own army or government...
"...Robin! There's one more question!"
Franklin pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Indians! If you're going to set up cotton plantations in Virginia and the Mississippi River basin, you'll inevitably encounter Indians. How do you plan to deal with this problem?"
Furthermore, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico are home to many pirates and their armed merchant ships. If you want to transport indentured laborers there and cotton out, you must also consider security... If the merchant ships carrying cotton and laborers are attacked by pirates, our losses will be enormous!
Chen Wenbin nodded naturally and said, "Of course, Southern Development Company should develop its own land security team and maritime escort force!"
I've heard that the mercenaries employed by the German Hesse have performed well in the war. Coincidentally, the Scott family comes from the Hesse-Kassel Countdom in Germany. I can have the Scott family hire a few hundred men from there to defend against the Indians and Spanish.
As for maritime escort... we'll have to wait and see how the clipper ships actually perform after being launched!
Initially, we can purchase and hire armed merchant ships like the Diana and Providence, recruit a group of immigrant families from northern Germany to Rhode Island, and then send armed fleets to explore the southern coastline and the Gulf of Mexico…”
"Why go through all that trouble recruiting immigrants from Germany?" Franklin glanced at Diana sitting next to Chen Wenbin and frowned. "Couldn't we just recruit indentured farmers from England and Ireland?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Wenbin took his fiancée's hand, kissed the back of it, and said with a smile, "Diane, why don't you answer this question for me?"
Diana looked at Franklin and said in a flat tone, "The reason is simple, Mr. Franklin, because German immigrants are cheaper, and they hardly speak English!"
Therefore, they wouldn't escape from the plantations as easily as the English and Irish immigrants!
Franklin was taken aback for a moment, then realized what was happening.
Yes!
Both the English and the Irish speak English, and once indentured laborers arrive in North America, they can easily find a place to live by simply heading south or inland. North American farmers and plantation owners simply can't do anything about them!
But the Germans were different. These Germanic relatives of the British barely spoke English and were more willing to keep their promises... This can be seen from the alliance between Britain and Prussia in this war.
Berlin, Prussia's most important city, was occupied twice and the country was on the verge of collapse, yet they still did not surrender!
They are simply the best indentured laborers and mercenaries!
"...I think that's indeed a good idea!" He nodded, reminding us, "But we'd better choose religious German immigrants; there are already enough Catholic Irish people in North America."
"certainly!"
Chen Wenbin laughed and said, "I plan to settle the German immigrants mainly in the area near the Mississippi River, and use them to block the Spanish from the west and the Indian tribes from the north."
Furthermore, the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes region in the west should also be navigable, which would allow us to use the Mississippi River to transport Pennsylvania's coal and iron products to the Mexican coast... further accelerating the development of local plantations!
"Are you planning to develop coal and iron ore mines in Pennsylvania?"
Pennsylvania was where Benjamin Franklin started his career, so he was naturally very interested in it.
Why not?
Chen Wenbin looked at him and asked in return, "Benjamin, don't you want to go back there and reclaim the land that belongs to the people of Pennsylvania from the Payne family?"
How could I not want to?
One of Franklin's main purposes in coming to England was to complain to the King and Parliament about the Payne family's misconduct in Pennsylvania and to hope that England would revoke the royal charter granted to the Payne family... However, his conversation with George III that morning yielded little result.
George III offered him some support, but shifted the blame to Parliament, where many supported the Payne family, leading Franklin to doubt whether London could respect North America's wishes.
Perhaps, in the eyes of these noble lords in London, North America was just a pasture for free-range grazing, and now... it's time to harvest!
On the way back, Chen Wenbin noticed that the old man was in a much lower mood, and he could roughly guess what the old man was thinking.
It's like you gradually discover that the wife you've loved your whole life doesn't actually love you the way you love her. Her sweet words are just to use you. She doesn't respect your thoughts and only treats you as a piggy bank and a tool, ready to be broken in case you run out of money.
This is indeed very discouraging and can easily lead to mental breakdown.