Comparing Jamestown

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Colony Compare and Contrast

In the 17th century, England was late when it came to the colonization of the new world. Which went through many changes before it was able to test the waters, forming the first settlements in the mid-Atlantic, Virginia. Under the guise of a noble mission given to them by King James I, the Virginia Company funded the first Colonies in Virginia. Years later, after perfecting their skills at surviving this new land, colonies in the south, Carolina were formed. These two regions both had their share of challenges, but they overcame them in different ways. Each had a method of doing things by force or from trial and error. The world in 1606 was very different than the world of today, but this is a story based on the …show more content…

They were unprepared for life in the wilderness. Most had the impression that everything would be easy in the new world. The men and boys who first settled in Jamestown were townsmen and gentlemen. “They had come expecting to find gold, friendly Indians, and easy living.” (America: A Narrative History, 57) This information was given to them before making the journey to the new world. The settles were also told they would be provided with everything they would need, but supplies from England were undependable. When they arrived there was no town or any shelter waiting for them. They had to learn how to hunt and grow their own food, which they were not use to or even knew how to do in this untamed world. Captain John Smith took charge of the colony ensuring that of the 38 original survivors had to pull their own weight. He used various means to archive his goals and through his efforts Jamestown pulled through. After a period called the “Starving Time,” (America: A Narrative History, 60), where most of the colonist died, a man named John Rolfe provided a way for the colony to survive. He was able to acquire tobacco seeds from the Spanish and with it he made the colony a source of trade (America: A Narrative History, 61). Tobacco and other grown good where used to improve the lives of the colonies, but their daily lives were still very harsh as they were …show more content…

Unlike Virginia’s colony Jamestown, it took years before this became a fully established colony. The name given to it was Charles town and most of the colonists who settled there came from the Caribbean island of Barbados. Which had more experienced people in order to start a sugar-cane plantation like in the West Indies (America: A Narrative History, 85). These people has years of experience tending to the land. Compared to the gentlemen, who were unfamiliar with farming that first settled Jamestown years earlier. Lord Anthony Ashley Copper, one of the eight lards who owned the region, wrote the Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina. Along with the assistance of his secretary John Locke (America: A Narrative History, 86). This document was mainly used to draw up new land grants. In order to encourage more people to settle in Carolina, religious tolerance was also outlined in the Fundamental Constitution of Carolina. Compared to Jamestown, Charlestown of Carolina also had plenty of work to do, but not enough workers to complete it. More laborers were needed which made slaves a highly valued trading good. As they increased trading with the native people, settlers encouraged them to capture and sell rival tribes into slavery (America: A Narrative History, 87). Settlers in the Carolinas benefited

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