Comparison of Jamestown and Plymouth

17th century settlements

Motivations for Jamestown Colonization

• Economic prosperity• Single men hoped to make

fortunes in Virginia and return to England

• Previous explorers brought home tales of vast amounts of gold and other valuable resources.

• English wanted to prevent Spanish and French from expanding territorial claims in North America.

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Motivations for Plymouth Colonization

• Religious freedom• Puritans persecuted for

rebelling against the Church of England

• Felt Church of England had not completed the work of the Reformation and was still too close to Roman Catholicism

• English wanted to prevent Spanish and French from expanding territorial claims in North America.

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Founding of Jamestown Colony

• Founded 1607• Funded by London

Company, a private enterprise

• Charter granted by King James, but not funded

• Company recruited people with promises that gold could be found by those who made trip

• King made decisions on government of colony

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Founding of Plymouth Colony• Founded 1620• Funded by London joint-

stock company• Separatists granted land

in Virginia, but instead settled in Massachusetts after going off course

• Signed Mayflower Compact to provide self-governing guidelines since were not settling in Virginia

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Early Difficulties in Jamestown• Laziness of colonists• There were few

expectations that manual labor would be required

• Depended on Native Americans for food

• Disease and starvation killed 80% of colonists in the first year

• Failed attempts to befriend natives led to confrontations

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Early Difficulties in Plymouth

• Mayflower arrived in Plymouth on Dec. 21

• During harsh winter 54% died

• Early attempts at growing crops failed

• Taught how to grow crops by Squanto

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Factors of Jamestown Success

• Captain John Smith takes control of government

• “No work, no eat” policy• Firm leadership gives

direction during difficult early colonization

• Growing tobacco made the land of the colony valuable

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Factors of Plymouth Success• Strength of Mayflower

Compact• William Bradford and Miles

Standish provide leadership

• Pilgrims able to grow corn (taught from natives)

• Initial cooperation of native population and Pilgrims allows for the growth of the colony

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