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differences and similarities between european and native american cultures
differences and similarities between european and native american cultures
history of american colonization
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The Pilgrims and the Settlement of the Early American Colonies
When the new world was discovered, the people who were to first settle there were supposed to achieve fame, farmland, and a better life. They came to practice religion freely, to escape persecution, become land owners, and establish trading businesses. Now while people believed that they would have a better life in the new world, in reality life there was just as hard, if not harder. But was all this worth the price of their lives? Had they any idea of the hardship, sickness and famine that would be inflicted on them? They didn't, because no one told them about how deadly the journey they were about to embark on was.
From the start the pilgrims had bad fortune. They were originally supposed to be two ships heading for the New World, the Mayflower and Speedwell, but because the Speedwell was leaking, the settlers decided not to use it. A map depecting the early colonies shows the original Plymouth colony in Massachusettes, it's presumed that they encountered a storm which had brought them to Massachusettes ...
The Jamestown and Plymouth settlements were both settled in the early 1600's. Plymouth and Jamestown were located along the shoreline in Massachusetts and Virginia, respectively. Although both had different forms of government, they both had strong leadership. Jamestown was controlled by the London Company, who wanted to profit from the venture, while the Puritans who settled at Plymouth were self-governed with an early form of democracy and settled in the New World to gain religious freedom. John Smith took charge in efforts to organize Jamestown, and at Plymouth William Bradford helped things run smoothly.
In 1620, seeking refuge from persecution in Europe, William Bradford and his small colony of one-hundred and three Protestant separatists, later known as the Pilgrims, arrived in New England to found Plymouth Plantation. Winthrop established the Massachusetts Bay Colony, now known as Boston, as a theocracy, where elected leaders such as Winthrop himself made decisions with the advice of the clergy based of their belief of pre-destination and enforced strict religious laws upon all people who lived in the colony. Although most of those who migrated to America in 1630 shared a common Calvinist theology, there was by no means unanimity regarding how they would practice their religion. Two prominent figures soon brought dissent among the community; first, Anne Hutchinson spread her sharp challenge to the Puritan faith by spreading the idea that a holy life was no sure sign of salvation and to not bother with obeying the law of either God or man; second, Roger Williams urged
The Mayflower and the Pilgrims' New World, by Nathaniel Philbrick (winner of the Massachusetts Book Award) is a captivating historical novel that explores the account of the Pilgrims and their involvement in the New World. It is a story of the Puritans (who would later become the Pilgrims), as they travel to the New World, a place they can hope to worship their God in the way they want to without any persecution and/or animosity from their fellow man since no European nation was safe for them. While reading Philbrick’s novel I (and most likely many other readers), compared the historical text in The Mayflower to how we personally see the world today. Furthermore, I learned from the text of The Mayflower, my views were challenged within the confines of the text, and though it might not address my problems on a personal level—it still addresses things that are considered important to not just me, but people around the world.
When the Europeans traveled to the New World, they expected the wilderness to resemble the Garden of Eden. The reality was a rude awakening. They found the vast lands of the new world to be full of uncultivated
Massachusetts's inhabitants were Puritans who believed in predestination and the ideal that God is perfect. Many Puritans in England were persecuted for their nihilist beliefs in England because they felt that the Church of England, led by the Kind, did not enforce a literal enough interpretation of the Bible. Persecution punishment included jail and even execution. To seek refuge, they separated to go to Holland because of its proximity, lower cost, and safer passage. However, their lives in Holland were much different than that of England. The Separatists did not rebel against but rather preferred the English culture. They did not want their children to be raised Dutch. Also, they felt that Holland was too liberal. Although they enjoyed the freedom of religion, they decided to leave for America. Pilgrims, or sojourners, left for America on The Mayflower and landed in Cape Cod in 1626. They had missed their destination, Jamestown. Although the climate was extremely rocky, they did not want to move south because of their Puritan beliefs. They thought that everything was predestined, and that they must have landed on this rocky place for a reason. They moved slightly north to Plymouth Rock in order to survive more comfortably. Also because of their Puritan beliefs, they had good relations with the Native Americans. Their pacifist nature led the Indians to help with their crops. In thanks, the Pilgrims celebrated the first thanksgiving in 1621. A second group of Puritans in England, the Massachusetts Bay Company, came to Massachusetts for more economically motivated purposes due to their non-minimalist beliefs.
It has been said that Europeans went over to the New World in search of God, Glory and Gold. For the most part, the two latter motives were what drew men to the wildernesses of unknown continents; but still, mixed within these desperate attempts to forage a better life or to discover extravagant riches, history has shown that some men aspired to nobler ends.
The main reason the people Jamestown want to the Americas was to discover and make fortunes. They were about business and they only cared about themselves so they can become richer. They discovered tobacco and traded to make money. One day while John Smith was exploring the new land, he ran into the Native Americans. They were savages and took him prisoner for weeks. The Natives Americans were planning on killing John Smith but the Chief's daughter, Pocahontas, managed to convinced her father into freeing John Smith. John Smith then taught the Native Americans how the Earth worked. Imagine if Pocahontas wasn’t there to free John Smith, the people of Jamestown are armed and have military experience ‘’...Now
The September of 1620 a ship, the Mayflower, carried nearly one hundred and two passengers as it left Plymouth England and headed for new land (Source 6 , Source 8). The passengers of the Mayflower were looking to find land that would allow them to practice their faith freely and in hopes for new land to settle on. It was sixty-six days before the Mayflower reached the tip Cape Cod which was north of the destination they had been looking for. It took nearly a month for the Mayflower to reach the Massachusetts Bay which was the intended destination of the ship. When the Mayflower reached the Bay the Pilgrims began working on building a village . The Pilgrims were devoted working through the harsh winter but many died due to the harsh exposure
The Jamestown Colony, a colony in ruin, turned into the wealthiest colony. The Massachusetts Bay Colony, the “a city upon a hill” turned into “the city that fell down the hill.”
The Pilgrims found themselves in a harsh new environment. In the middle of winter, they slowly built a settlement at the site of an abandoned Pawtuxet Indian village. Not used to hunting or fishing, they struggled to find food. Many were starving. The future looked bleak.
Throughout the colonial period, both economic and religious concerns contributed to the settling of British North America. The statement that the "economic concerns had more to do with the settling of British North America than did religious concerns" is valid. These economic concerns, as a cause for the colonization of British North America, outweighed the notable religious concerns that arose, and dominated colonial life during and up until the very end of the British colonial era in North America.
By the 1700's two regions of English colonization , New England and the Chesapeake Bay, varied greatly. Physical and cultural differences separated them. The seeds of diversity were planted in the early days of colonization when they grew into distinctive societies. Colonists came to America with different motives. Some came for religious reasons while others came to get rich. Religion was the basis of the people's lives in New England, but in the Chesapeake region, money and producing tobacco dominated life. This would affect the colonies economically, socially, and politically.
There were vast differences between the difficulties experienced by the first settlers of Jamestown, Virginia and the Pilgrims who settled in New England in more ways than one. While the Pilgrims fled Europe because of religious persecution, the Jamestown colony was established solely as a business venture. While life was difficult for both groups of settlers upon reaching the new world, the Jamestown venture was doomed to fail from the beginning; but where the Jamestown settlers failed, the Pilgrims succeeded. The motives for traveling to America were different for each group but were instrumental in their eventual success or failure.
A group of Europeans, headed by Bartholomew Gosnold, began planning a possible business venture that would send a group of colonists to what was already known as Virginia. Gosnold was apparently the driving force behind getting this operation in place. Gosnold was referred to as "the first mover of this plantation" by Captain John Smith."(Ward) Merchants from London, Bristol and Plymouth sponsored the voyage and persuaded King James to grant a charter and letters of patent to create the Virginia Company. A strange twist to the story was that the man who worked so hard to get this Company started, Gosnold, was unable to become a member but he did manage to become appointed to the resident council. Their job was to work with Virginia associates and be involved in local affairs for the new colony.
The interaction among the English and Native Americans helped shape the development of the Virginia colony. The origins of the traditions held by the population of America started from the time that this land was first set foot on by the human species and was compounded throughout the rest of time. The immigrants and slaves expanded on the traditions of the original settlers. And, along with those they brought their own religions and cultures that also added to the traditions of this country.