Compare And Contrast The Virginia Colony Vs Massachusetts Bay Colony

The Virginia Colony vs. The Massachusetts Bay Colony

Throughout the 17th century, England sent many colonists to settle in the New World. Later on, the two colonies formed the nation America. This doesn’t mean they began with the same ideals and motives. The motivations and reasons for the founding of the Virginia and Massachusetts Bay colonies varied greatly. The main reasons being between the economic, religious, political, and social reasons.

Many European nations, especially England, wished to expand its territory, wealth, and power. For them, it was a competition to gain land and a wealth of precious metals, such as silver and gold, in the New World. Another source of profit was in raw goods. They planned to find raw materials

It was the central part of everyone’s lives. The settlers were made to take an oath before they leaved acknowledging the supremacy of the King and the church. The first building constructed was the church and a crossl. As time went on, it was obvious that religion was not a motive in the Jamestown colonists’ minds. Their church soon fell into disrepair and was abandoned altogether. The Massachusetts Bay colonists were Puritans seeking religious freedom and purity. After being persecuted for their beliefs in England, they moved to Holland. Before long, parents felt their children were being influenced by the more liberal beliefs of Holland. The next option was to move to the New World where they could raise their children in a private community surrounded by like-minded families. As Puritan lawyer John Winthrop envisioned the new colony he said, “Wee shall be as a Citty upon a Hill, the eies of all people are uppon us.” They wanted to be a model to other settlements and lead the lives they desired in a world were being persecuted for believing what they did was behind

Only men who possessed great amounts of land and held a title were allowed to have a place in the government. This raised issues for young sons of aristocrats who had not inherited the land of their father. This meant for them that they did not hold a high title, only that of gentry. To move to the New World meant they could own much land and possibly have a place in the new government established there. For poorer men, they could only speak to their representatives who would then advocate for them in the Assembly. The government established there was a Representative Government based on a model of the government of England. The government of The Massachusetts Bay colony had a different type of government where all “freemen” could vote. This meant any man who owned land and was not an indentured servant or slave. The fact that average men was also a motive for men who felt oppressed not only religiously but as well as