User blog comment:John Breasly/New State of the East India Trading Company/@comment-4124882-20111020212335/@comment-4753863-20111020220252

To my knowledge... Jeremiah was going to commit suicide, then Samuel/Seadog talked him out of it and told him to take over but first do a mission for him in the Paradox. Don't quote me on this because I'm not positive that this is what happened.