Jamestown: The First Successful English Colony in America

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The first successful permanent English colony to be founded in America was Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. Prior to this, there were two other attempts to colonize the region, unfortunately, they both failed to do so. The most famous of which was the colony of Roanoke island, set up by Sir Walter Raleigh, where all the colonists mysteriously disappeared leaving only the word “Croatan” carved into a tree. This successful settlement was a project of the Virginia company, a joint-stock company that existed to make money for its investors, something it never did. Jamestown might have been the first English colony in America, but Massachusetts Bay is most likely better known, this is probably because the colonists who immigrated there were very recognizable …show more content…

Puritans arrived seeking land they thought would be fit for their “city upon a hill” (Doc 1). This would be a place where their religious and political beliefs would not be challenged and where their agreement with one another and God (Doc 4) would thrive. Because of the success of the Puritans, the London Company, also known as the Virginia Company of London founded Jamestown in order to grow tobacco because of its economic benefits. After early difficulties, Jamestown began to thrive, also. Due to the governing of Jamestown, Bacon’s Rebellion took place (Doc 7). This source can be biased due to it being by Bacon who was trying to prove his innocence, the point of view can also be used as an excellent interpretation when coming to Bacon’s view of the situation. Also due to their differing civilization structure, the attack by the Dutch on the Chesapeake (Doc 6) could have been to raid their economically rich civilization, along with their goods and stock. By 1700, the two societies were distinctive, and the original objectives of their founders made it …show more content…

The abridged growing season was due to its cool spring and long winters, the soil in the region was also very rocky and difficult to cultivate. The Chesapeake region had soil that was rich in nutrients and minerals (which could also indirectly lead to the Dutch attacks presented in document 6) mostly due to the frequent flooding of tidewater which deposited silt throughout the region. The more temperate climate also allowed for farming year-round, lending itself to agriculture suited for plantations. These differences in climate and soil led to large-scale differences in the economic development of the two

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