Comparing the Settlers of Jamestown, Virginia and the Pilgrims Settlers in New England
comparative Essay
1315 words
There were vast differences between the difficulties experienced by the first settlers of Jamestown, Virginia and the Pilgrims who settled in New England in more ways than one. While the Pilgrims fled Europe because of religious persecution, the Jamestown colony was established solely as a business venture. While life was difficult for both groups of settlers upon reaching the new world, the Jamestown venture was doomed to fail from the beginning; but where the Jamestown settlers failed, the Pilgrims succeeded. The motives for traveling to America were different for each group but were instrumental in their eventual success or failure. The Virginia Company was granted a charter by King James the 1st to travel to North America mainly to find gold; but also to engage in “glassblowing, silk raising, winemaking and exploring the rivers” (C&G 28) in addition to trying to find a water route to the Orient ("History of Jamestown"). The company neglected to take into account that farming would be a necessary requirement. In choosing who to send on the expedition, gentlemen from the upper class were selected along with a small group of artisans, craftsmen and laborers (C&G 27). This was one of many mistakes that paved the road on the way to the eventual failure of the venture; the people selected were ill-equipped to deal with the elements and hardships they faced upon their arrival. The leaders were unaccustomed to hard work and lacked the organizational skills required to survive and thrive in the new environment. They also lacked the diplomatic skills required to deal with the Powhatan Native American’s they encountered. Faced with the very real possibility of losing their lands and facing the potential extinction of their peo... ... middle of paper ... .... New York: Longman, 2006. Print. "History of Jamestown." Historic Jamestowne. Preservation Virginia. Web. 3 Feb 2014. . "Mayflower and the Mayflower Compact." Plymouth Plantation. ©2003-2014 Plimoth Plantation. Web. 9 Feb 2014. . "The House of Burgesses." U.S. History: Britain in the New World. Independence Hall Association in Philadelphia. Web. 9 Feb 2014. . "Religion in Early Virginia." Colonial Williamstown. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Web. 11 Feb 2014. . "Research Starters: Plymouth Colony." 2014 Scholastic Inc. Grolier Incorporated, n.d. Web. 9 Feb 2014. .
In this essay, the author
- Compares the difficulties experienced by the first settlers of jamestown, virginia and the pilgrims who settled in new england. the motives for traveling to america were different for each group.
- Explains that the virginia company was granted a charter by king james the 1st to travel to north america mainly to find gold, but also to engage in "glassblowing, silk raising, winemaking and exploring the rivers."
- Explains that the warm climate was a blessing for the native americans until the settler's showed up. they lived in tight knit farming communities and were experienced in growing crops, hunting, and fishing.
- Explains how captain john smith's leadership helped the colony survive the "starving time" when he was injured by a gunpowder explosion. rolfe married pocahontas, the daughter of the algonquian chief.
- Describes how governor yeardley traveled to virginia from england to notify the settlers that the virginia company had voted to abolish martial law and create a legislative assembly.
- Compares the 102 pilgrims who arrived in massachusetts aboard the mayflower with the jamestown colonists, who were motivated by greed.
- Explains that the pilgrims established a self-governing agreement of their own called the "mayflower compact." it was signed by the male passengers in 1620.
- Explains that both colonies were instrumental in the formation of america. one succeeded through passionate religious beliefs and a fierce determination to succeed while the other failed because their motives were founded on greed, lack of commitment, dedication and the passion required to make the venture successful.
- Cites carnes, mark c., and john a. garraty. american destiny: narrative of a nation.
- Explains that "the house of burgesses." u.s. history: britain in the new world. independence hall association in philadelphia.
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- Explains that the only people who knew about the land were the powhatan indians who had no contact with europeans prior to the settlement of jamestown.
- Explains that the original settlers were 110 men who had to survive off each other's occupations and were expected to contribute something to the community.
- Explains that francis west and his fleet of 36 men went to trade for corn with the patawomeke indians. the grain they got would have been a great help to the colonists but it wouldn't be enough for the winter.
- Analyzes how the actions of francis west and his crew did not help strengthen english ties with the native americans.
- Explains that jamestown was a place where many colonists wanted to reinvent their lives and escape the poverty in england. the environment was unexplored and unknown to the settlers.
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In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how edward waterhouse's declaration in 1622 is a piece of history that will forever be debated. he describes his first-hand accounts of english genocide and the relationship between the powhatan and settlers.
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In this essay, the author
- Compares the colony of jamestown, virginia, and the massachusetts bay colony, which were founded in 1629.
- Explains that massachusetts was mainly a puritan colony, while virginia, named after the virgin queen elizabeth, was anglican and tied close to the church of england.
- Explains that massachusetts gave more power to the people, while virginia's governor got appointed by the crown. the governing council, rich elites controlling everything, and the house of burgesses, upper middle-class landowners.
- Explains that both massachusetts and virginia were founded by companies looking to make money off the new world, but the founding of massachusetts was motivated by religious goals and family dynamics.
- Explains that the english colonies in new england established from 1620 onward were founded with loftier goals than those in virginia.
- Explains that virginia was settled for economic gain, while massachusetts (part of new england), because of religious motives, led to the shaping of the colonies.
- Explains that the climate and location framed the economic systems in each of the colonies. virginia is a southern colony making it warmer, while massachusetts relied heavily on trade and little on agriculture.
- Explains that massachusetts and virginia's political, economic, and religious systems differed but resembled each other. each way these colonies were forged contributed to what the united states is today.
926 wordsRead More - The Chesapeake and New England Colonies: A Comparisoncomparative essayThe Chesapeake region of the colonies included Virginia, Maryland, the New Jerseys (both East and West) and Pennsylvania. In 1607, Jamestown, the first English colony in the New World (that is, the first to thrive and prosper), was founded by a group of 104 settlers to a peninsula along the James River. These settlers hoped to find gold, silver, a northwest passage to Asia, a cure for syphilis, or any other valuables they might take back to Europe and make a profit. Lead by Captain John Smith, who "outmaneuvered other members of the colony's ruling and took ruthlessly took charge" (Liberty Equality Power, p. 57), a few lucky members of the original voyage survived. These survivors turned to the local Powhatan Indians, who taught them the process of corn- and tobacco-growing. These staple-crops flourished throughout all five of these colonies.
In this essay, the author
- Compares the chesapeake and new england colonies in the late 16th and 17th centuries.
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- Explains that new englanders were largely puritan separatists, who sought religious freedom, while protestants wanted complete separation from catholicism. they reproduced much of england's economy with only minor variations.
- Explains that the chesapeake and new england attracted different types of settlers and, by 1700, the populations differed enormously.
- Compares new england's religion with the chesapeake, where the anglican church was established after 1692.
- Explains that the chesapeake economy revolved around the tobacco industry, which paved the way for other industries. new england's economy was based on fishing, shipbuilding, and farming.
- Explains that the chesapeake and new england regions differed in numerous ways, including population, religion, and economy.
990 wordsRead More - Plymouth and Jamestown: Government, Power, and Survivalcomparative essayThe Jamestown and Plymouth settlements were both settled in the early 1600's. Plymouth and Jamestown were located along the shoreline in Massachusetts and Virginia, respectively. Although both had different forms of government, they both had strong leadership. Jamestown was controlled by the London Company, who wanted to profit from the venture, while the Puritans who settled at Plymouth were self-governed with an early form of democracy and settled in the New World to gain religious freedom. John Smith took charge in efforts to organize Jamestown, and at Plymouth William Bradford helped things run smoothly.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that jamestown and plymouth settlements were both settled in the early 1600's. both had different forms of government, but both had strong leadership.
- Explains that jamestown was controlled by the london company, but the company, driven by money, ordered the settlers to search for gold and other values. plymouth colony was also supposed to be controlled but were blown off course and landed too farther north.
- Compares the two government systems of plymouth and jamestown. bradford was elected governor and provided firm leadership, but few colonists complained that he was too controlling.
- Explains that the puritans led them into the proper settings to encourage their faith instead of tearing it down. the jamestown colony didn't care about religious freedom, but only about money.
- Explains that jamestown and plymouth survived, despite their differences in government. their leadership brought them though, and although some did not necessarily have the best reasons for settlement, they did figure out what was important in the end.
469 wordsRead More - The Differences Which the Regions of New England and Chesapeake Developed in the United Statesexplanatory essaySettlers in the Chesapeake region used force to take possession of Indian lands. The Chesapeake region of the colonies included Virginia, Maryland, the New Jerseys and Pennsylvania. In 1607, Jamestown (the first English colony in the New World) was founded by a group of settlers along the James River. And because the colony was near water, the Pilgrims had a great advantage. They created a society that was full of companies interested in profiting from the natural resources of the New World. They also turned to the local Powhatan Indians, who taught them the process of corn- and tobacco-growing. These staple-crops flourished throughout all five of these colonies. After the ship arrived, John Smith’s main concern was to “dig gold, refine gold, and load gold” but there was no g...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the new england and chesapeake regions of the united states were both settled by the english in the 1600s, but they developed into two very different communities based on their geographical location and religious devotion.
- Describes how the pilgrims created a society that was full of companies interested in profiting from the natural resources of the new world.
- Explains that new englanders were largely puritan separatists, who sought religious freedom. when the church of england separated from catholicism under henry viii, protestants flourished in england.
- Explains that the chesapeake and new england regions of the new world became so different by 1700. both colonies were struggling to survive whether it was due to their location or religious beliefs.
544 wordsRead More - Chesapeake Bay Labors in Colonial Americaanalytical essayLooking at the early English colonies in the Chesapeake Bay region, it’s clear that the English had not learned any lessons from their experiences at Roanoke. Poor planning, a bad location, unrealistic expectations, flawed leadership, unsuccessful relations with the local Indians, and no hope of finding the mineral wealth the Spanish found in Mexico, all contributed to failure. The first colonists in the Chesapeake region were not only ignorant, lazy and unambitious, but their attempts were hampered before they had begun. However, a solution to these problems was found in a single plant: tobacco. Nevertheless, this cash crop ultimately created numerous problems for the colonists. The ignorance and indolent acts of the Chesapeake colonists to unsuccessfully restore the colony by themselves led to the demise of the colony as a whole especially regarding the planting of agricultural goods for food.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how poor planning, a bad location, unrealistic expectations, flawed leadership, unsuccessful relations with the local indians, and no hope of finding the mineral wealth the spanish found in mexico contributed to failure.
- Explains that the virginia company sent jewelers, goldsmiths, aristocrats and the like to find precious metals. the colonists felt little attachment to their community and sought individual wealth.
- Explains that the noblemen who made the journey to the americas often came with their respective titles, but no wealth, because of the british custom of primogeniture.
- Explains how investors overseas funded expeditions and settlements to the americas. the virginia company instituted the "head right" system, which promised land and political clout for those who funded the passage of indentured servants
553 wordsRead More - Jamestown and Plymouthcomparative essayThe English had two main colonies in the new world, Jamestown and Plymouth. The first colony was Jamestown, established in Virginia in 1607. Jamestown was settled by Captain John Smith, and was named after King James I. Tobacco was the main export of Jamestown, and became the basis of the Jamestown economy, sending more than 50,000 lbs of the plan back to Europe by 1618 (textbook 46). Jamestown had a very rocky start, many colonists dying in the first few years of the settlement, and the settlers had many problems with natives. Shortly after the arrival of English colonists the Natives attacked them, and were finally forced back by a canon from the English. A very uneasy truce was finally settled between the natives, called the Powhatans, and the English (textbook 44-5). Economic growth and expanding their territories were the main priorities of the English in the Jamestown colonies.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the english had two main colonies in the new world, jamestown and plymouth.
- Explains that plymouth was settled in massachusetts in 1620 by colonists who came over from england to escape religious persecution. the salem witch trials are known for their hypocrisy and unfair rulings.
- Compares the jamestown colony to the plymouth colony, which was settled for religious freedom. the self-interested colonists wanted land and money, while the puritans were greedy but did not wish to work.
- Explains that both the english colonies in new england in the south and southeast resulted in total dominance over the area. both economic power and growth as well as religion played major roles in this time period, helping to create the powerful nation that we now call the united states
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