Essay Compare And Contrast Jamestown And Plymouth Settlers

Human nature is to seek improvement, to evolve, to discover. Early colonizers, particularly from England, went to great lengths in the hopes of finding better opportunities in a land that took more than 3000 miles of traveling in a confined vessel, and surviving off of soiled food and filthy water. Their journeys and struggle to survive the first few years of establishing a stable colony posed some of the greatest difficulties that pushed these brave Englishmen to the limits, and those who did survive eventually built one of the strongest countries in the world. Both Jamestown and Plymouth traversed to these extents in the hopes of the promising potential that the new world gave them, and though their circumstances were seemingly similar,

The Virginia Company seeking economic opportunities in this enterprise was the primary basis behind establishing colonies there. The basis of what they sought out in terms of economic status includes, but is not limited to, seeking mineral wealth such as gold, silver, and iron ore, establishing a Northwest passage to the orient, and be ahead of rival European nations in counterbalancing the expansion of them. Furthermore, their motives included spreading Protestant Christianity and converting the Native Americans in hopes of forging their culture into what the English perceived as more “civilized”. Many difficulties arose, however, as time passed and the rough journey alone was not their only severe antagonist against their endeavors. The colonists’ relations with the Native Americans who inhabited the area were not strong, and the chief was a powerful leader. Eventually, however, they established trade and a better relationship. Food supplies dwindled in the colony, which led to starvation and illnesses and thus incited leader John Smith’s “work or starve” policy. However, Smith left for England and did not return, and later a

On one hand, both colonies were established in the early to mid 1600’s, which goes to show that their resources and technology were very similar if not the same. The primary purpose behind the voyages were different, as one colony had an economic mindset and the other sought religious freedom, however both of these were underlying motives in each voyage, for the Jamestown colonists desired to spread Christianity and the Plymouth settlers chose North America for its promise of economic opportunities. Both colonies faced the inevitable epidemics, harsh winters, and scarce food. However, the difference that made a profound effect in the difficulties both colonies faced during their initial years was each of their relationships with the Native people of the area they colonized. The Pilgrims, on one hand, established peaceful relations (with the help of Squanto) and focused on growing crops and building a stable settlement as opposed to worrying about an attack, which the Jamestown settlers experienced. The warfare ultimately led to the starving time and rapid decline of the stability of the colony, which was nearly destroyed if not saved by the influx of new settlers sent by the king. As aforementioned, the relations with the Natives was one of the most important in these enterprises, as they both recovered