I was the Founding Father of the United States

Chapter 49 Bristol

On the morning of February 5th.

The Diana and Providence sailed eastward along the River Avon, slowly approaching the riverside docks of Bristol Harbour.

This second-largest port in the UK is a hub for trade between Britain and North America and Africa, and a key point in the Atlantic triangular trade.

Beginning a century ago, merchant ships departing from Bristol have been carrying handicrafts such as glass beads, muskets, and salt to the West African coast to purchase slaves, then transporting the slaves to the Americas, and finally returning to England with tobacco, sugar, gold, and silver from the Americas.

Driven by substantial profits, Bristol transformed from a medieval town with a population of just a few thousand into a prosperous port city with a population of 60,000.

However, in Chen Wenbin's view, this so-called second largest port in Britain is nothing special, except that there are more sailboats on the dock.

This is normal. After all, it's just a city with a total population of only 60,000. In his eyes, it's just a slightly larger town. In fact, the total population of England who truly consider themselves British is probably only around six million...

This is his chance!

Taking advantage of the fact that the newly emerging maritime superpower, Britain, was short of population and unable to conquer more colonies, he wanted to expand his territory as much as possible in South America, the west coast of North America, and Australia, and bring in people from the East for colonization... But thinking about this gave him a headache.

That's right!

The British were powerless to colonize, but Boss Chen had even less capital!

He now owns only two armed merchant ships, which are also the assets of PUIC and can only be used for freight between North America and Britain. If he wants to acquire people from the East, he must pay a high price to have the British East India Company's merchant ships transport them.

It seems that this trip to Britain is to hire enough shipbuilders and skilled workers to return to North America. Only by quickly developing clipper ships with steel components can the immigration from the East truly begin.

"...Honey, what are you thinking about?"

On the deck, Diana, dressed in a thick lace dress, noticed the man beside her frowning from time to time. Thinking he was worried about the marriage proposal, she smiled and reassured him, "Don't worry, even if Dad and Uncle John disagree, I will always be your wife!"

Chen Wenbin snapped out of his daze, kissed the blonde girl, and said, "Diane, I believe Henry and Chris will convince your father and the Baron!"

I'm worried about the environment in the UK and whether it will affect you and your child... Can you smell it? It stinks much more than Newport Harbour here!

"Isn't that how all docks are?"

Diana glanced at the garbage and sewage on the dock and said dismissively, "We don't live here. The dock is a place for the poor."

"..."

His wife's words made perfect sense, leaving Chen Wenbin speechless.

Having lived in North America for so long, he had forgotten that British nobles and the wealthy all lived in their own suburban estates and never mingled with the poor!

In reality, the same applies to North America. However, because North America is sparsely populated and land is not valuable, most poor people can own their own houses and land, so the spatial separation between the rich and poor is not so obvious.

Britain is different; every inch of British land has an owner!

Because the Enclosure Movement forced the poor to seek a living in the countryside, they had to endure the appalling living conditions in the city slums. Since the slums were inhabited by the poor, the British government had no incentive to waste tax money to improve their living conditions.

This led to urban slums being littered with garbage and overflowing with sewage, and outbreaks of plague every now and then, which "naturally eliminated" many poor people with weak immune systems, and also took away some nobles and rich people... No wonder Britain had five million people a hundred years ago, but now it only has a little over six million.

With so many bacteria culture dishes left unattended, it's a miracle the population is still growing!

As the two were talking, Pastor Davis, dressed in a black priest's robe, approached. His face held the characteristic enthusiasm of a Protestant pastor, and he asked somewhat anxiously:

"Robin! Miss Spencer! We're about to disembark. Have you decided which church you'd like to have your wedding in?"

I assure you, Keats Chapel at the Tower of London will provide you with the perfect sacred oath-taking experience!

Seeing the hesitation on their faces, the 43-year-old pastor spoke privately to Chen Wenbin: "Robin! You are God's chosen one, and you were baptized under the guidance of the Johnson brothers. Don't you want to have your wedding in a Baptist church?"

Faced with this middle-aged pastor who was overly zealous in his faith, Chen Wenbin knew that if he didn't give him a clear answer, he would definitely keep pestering him. So, he could only hold Diana's hand and say apologetically:

"I'm sorry, Pastor, Diana and I have already agreed to have our engagement ceremony at an Anglican church in England first, and then our wedding at Providence Baptist Church in North America!"

Before Davis could continue, Diana added, "Pastor, after Robin and I get engaged, I will follow his faith and undergo rebaptism... I hope you can officiate the ceremony!"

"……OK!"

Davis looked at the two of them, somewhat regretful, but still agreed, "I will contact the Keats Church to arrange it for you, beautiful Miss Spencer!"

After saying that, he looked at Chen Wenbin and said sincerely, "Robin, there's one more thing. I want to promote your creations and miracles in England to glorify God, but this requires your consent..."

Chen Wenbin shrugged and said, "...No problem! Just stop telling others that I invented the Jenna Spinning Machine by divine grace!"

"But it was all God's arrangement!"

Davis said seriously, "Your spinning machine, your new forceps, your medical knowledge used to save lives, your understanding of the principles of God's creation, and your impeccable perfect body... these are undoubtedly gifts from God!"

You just haven't realized this yet! You've mistaken them for your own intelligence and advantages!

But that's not the case!

Robin, you haven't yet grasped your true mission!

This guy... is definitely impossible to communicate with!

I should never have agreed to let Jason board the ship in the first place!

Chen Wenbin was speechless. Davis was originally a pastor at Newport Baptist Church, but unlike Pastor Jason, who was inclined towards Deism and rationalism, he was a fanatical believer who deeply believed in Calvin's "theory of God's chosen people".

After witnessing Chen Wenbin's legendary deeds and impeccable appearance firsthand, he excitedly declared that Chen Wenbin had come with a mission from God. Then, every few days, he would bring Pastor Jensen to Chen Wenbin to discuss theology, hoping to receive the gospel from him.

Even though Chen Wenbin denied it several times and explained that his knowledge came from his ancestors and experience, Davis still insisted that he was sent by God, based on Chen Wenbin's perfect appearance and charm that surpassed that of ordinary humans.

Chen Wenbin really couldn't explain this. He couldn't exactly say it was a perk for time travelers, could he?

Fortunately, we're about to reach the shore, and we can finally get rid of this guy.