Having barely survived their first winter, the entire population of the Pilgrim village decides to return to England. The only holdout is James, who argues fiercely for sticking it out -- and wins only because the relief ship from England arrives carrying plague.

Polly's childhood nemesis, now married to a rich Virginia tobacco farmer, comes to visit and is less than impressed with Polly and James' ""rural"" lifestyle. When the visitors start giving out samples of their crop-tobacco-the townsfolk immediately embrace the new weed. James can't keep it on the shelves and realizes that selling tobacco could make him a fortune. Meanwhile, Abigail wants to go to the fur trappers' dance and James doesn't want her associating with ""their kind.""

When Grammy complains about always feeling underfoot in their one-room house, James creates a social revolution in the village by building Grammy her own room.