Jamestown and Plymouth In the early 15th century, Europeans began to set their eyes on the horizon in search of a new world. As countries began to set sail in hopes of gold, God and glory, the idea of permanent settlement in the New World was out of mind, at least at first. As both Spain and Portugal ruled over the mercantile scene, England was yet to make its mark. Feeling the pressure, England joined the hunt for natural resources without knowing it would one day be the start of the modern day superpower, the United States. The colonies of both Jamestown in Virginia and Plymouth in Massachusetts set the stage for what would one day be a global leader. Although the English founded both Jamestown and Plymouth, the two settlements became contrasting
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Jamestown was funded through the Virginia Company, thus it isn’t odd that many of the men sent over were gentlemen. As gentlemen, many considered themselves too high in the social order to get down and dirty and work. Many refused to do any work, sitting around and not helping contribute to the building of homes or the collection of food. Plymouth, on the other hand, had motivated people with a drive. Unlike Jamestown, Plymouth had both men, women and children. Due to the desire to start a new life, all within the Puritan group had motivation and a sense of community that helped push efforts to build and get things done. Contrary to Jamestown, Plymouth did not have constant supply ships coming to provide them with more tools and resources. The English Puritans couldn’t rely on outside help. On top of this, trade was huge in order to survive the beginning years in the newly founded colonies. Both colonies relied somewhat on the natives for trade, often giving away items manufactured in England such as beads or blankets. However, this dependence on the natives for trade caused problems as native relations turned bad and the local tribes decided to starve both colonies
Jamestown was funded through the Virginia Company, thus it isn’t odd that many of the men sent over were gentlemen. As gentlemen, many considered themselves too high in the social order to get down and dirty and work. Many refused to do any work, sitting around and not helping contribute to the building of homes or the collection of food. Plymouth, on the other hand, had motivated people with a drive. Unlike Jamestown, Plymouth had both men, women and children. Due to the desire to start a new life, all within the Puritan group had motivation and a sense of community that helped push efforts to build and get things done. Contrary to Jamestown, Plymouth did not have constant supply ships coming to provide them with more tools and resources. The English Puritans couldn’t rely on outside help. On top of this, trade was huge in order to survive the beginning years in the newly founded colonies. Both colonies relied somewhat on the natives for trade, often giving away items manufactured in England such as beads or blankets. However, this dependence on the natives for trade caused problems as native relations turned bad and the local tribes decided to starve both colonies