Exploration and establishment of colonies in the New World were seen as a symbol of power and potential wealth among European nations. Portugal, Spain, and France made their claims early. Beginning in the early 1600s, groups of people unhappy with their treatment in England sought after a new home. There were two types of English colonies that settled in the New World: those searching for religious freedom, and those searching for profit. Massachusetts and Virginia are examples of each. Although settled for different reasons, both colonies were similar in their initial struggles, eventual trade routes, and growing populations. Religious persecution was a main deterrent from remaining in England. Puritans, a religious group aside from the …show more content…
However, they landed near Cape Cod Bay, far north of the intended target of the Hudson River. John Smith later renamed the area Plymouth, a nod to the English port the colonists originally departed from. Knowing that establishing a colony outside of English permission would be seen as an act of treason, they decided to provide reassurance of their loyalty by drafting the Mayflower Compact. All men aboard the Mayflower signed the document stating the specific reason for departing to the New World as an extension of their faith and not disobedience to the …show more content…
Systematic government, modeled after a direct democracy, created a sense of order. However, only church members were allowed participation in political affairs. Once proven to be dedicated to the church, one could be fully accepted into the community, another integral part of the colony. Over the next few years, the stakes in their colony grew more prosperous as they developed profitable trade venues in lumbering, fishing, and shipbuilding. Believing everyone had a place and a purpose, the driving labor force of these products was the Pilgrim family. Non-Separatist Puritans that had chosen to remain in England began to take notice of the success at Plymouth. Believing purification of the Anglican Church was a futile cause, they acted on the Salem land grant provided by the New England Company in 1628. Led by John Winthrop, who later became the first governor, the Puritans sparked the Great Migration. This continued influx of people meant a continually growing labor force and replenishing of supplies from their
In the early stages of North American colonization by the English, the colony of Jamestown, Virginia was founded in 1607 (Mailer Handout 1 (6)). Soon after the Massachusetts Bay Colony was founded in 1629 (Mailer Handout 2 (1)). These two colonies, although close in the time they were founded, have many differences in aspects of their lives and the way they were settled. The colonies have a different religious system, economic system, political system, and they have a different way of doing things; whether that be pertaining to making money, practicing religion, or electing governors. Along with the differences, there are also a sameness between these two colonies. Each colony has been derived from England and has been founded by companies
The settlers of the Jamestown were members of the great Anglican Church, which was the official Church of England while the Pilgrims were dissenters from the Church and established the Puritan faith. Due to the Jamestown settlers being a part of the Anglican faith, they were not under any fear of religious persecution. They remained loyal to their superiors. The Puritans were separatists, which was considered an act of treason at the time. They believed that the Church was still too connected to the old ways.
The severely different environments in the New England and Chesapeake area allowed for different economies to progress. The original reason for settlement of the gentry who claimed Jamestown in 1607 was due to expectations; settlers expected to find gold, riches and Native Americans who were willing to serve them and wait on them. The swampland they had settled on made it difficult to grow crops, but in 1616, tobacco had become the staple of exports in the Chesapeake region. To fuel this expanding economy, indentured servants were introduced to private plantations and in 1619, slaves began to be shipped from Africa. Rather than settle for wealth-related purposes, the Separatist Puritans wanted to separate from the Church of England, while maintaining their English culture; this led them to occupy Plymouth in 1620. The land was fertile and allowed for crop growth, which grew large economic activity in corn and cattle trade. Although land was an important factor in success, their will and desire to do hard work was the key factor and distinguished them from the gentry that settled the Chesapeake region. In 1628, the Mass Bay Company, who too were...
When one looks back on the history of the British settlers in the Americas, there are many differences and similarities between those who settled up north in the New England colonies and those who settled down south. There are also differences in the way the north and south lived their lives, did their jobs, what their economic system was like and how the labor force was set up. Among these many differences there are some similarities as well. Those who left England sought religious and political freedom, as well as governmental and economic stability.
In the 17th century, the British colonies still identified themselves as European, but as the colonies expanded and grew more populous, they developed differing geographic, social, and economic systems. This difference between New England, and Chesapeake, is caused by the motivations for settlement between the two regions. While the New England colonies were mainly settled for religious motivations, most notably by the Puritans, the Chesapeake colonies were settled for economic prosperity. Also, while the Chesapeake colonies were mainly settled by individual young men seeking a profit, the New England colonies were settled by families hoping to settle and expand.
Some of the similarities between the colonies was they all had good land and good resources. Example the new England colonies had good resources and good trade. Many people moved there hoping to profit from the trade. Some also came to practice their religion freely. They built their colonies starting off from small farms. The middle colonies settled for almost the same reason as the new England colonies. What they did different though from the new England colonies was that they had more opportunities to profit from. They had choices like trading and farming. The middle colonies had jobs like ship building and lumbering. The southern colonies were very different though they lived by a river and in the wetlands. Something similar though they
Between the settlement of Jamestown in 1607 and the Treaty of Paris in 1763, the most important change that occurred in the colonies was the emergence of a society quite different from that in England. Changes in religion, economics, politics, and social structure illustrate this Americanization of the transplanted Europeans.
New England was north of the Chesapeake, and included Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Haven (which soon became part of Connecticut). The New Englanders were largely Puritan Separatists, who sought religious freedom. When the Church of England separated from Catholicism under Henry VIII, Protestantism flourished in England. Some Protestants, however, wanted complete separation from Catholicism and embraced Calvinism. These "Separatists" as they were called, along with persecuted Catholics who had not joined the Church of England, came to New England in hopes of finding this religious freedom where they would be free to practice as they wished. Their motives were, thus, religious in nature, not economic. In fact, New England settlers reproduced much of England's economy, with only minor variations. They did not invest largely in staple crops, instead, relied on artisan-industries like carpentry, shipbuilding, and printing.
Q 1. The American colonies were divided into three distinct regions and these regions were different from each other in their origins, populations, economics and agriculture, religious makeup, and connection to England .write an essay comparing and contrasting the New England, middle, and southern colonies with specific examples.
During the 1700's, people in the American colonies lived in very distinctive societies. While some colonists led hard lives, others were healthy and prosperous. The two groups who showed these differences were the colonists of the New England and Chesapeake Bay areas. The differentiating characteristics among the Chesapeake and New England colonies developed due to economy, religion, and motives for colonial expansion. The colonists of the New England area possessed a very happy and healthy life. This high way of living was due in part to better farming, a healthier environment, and a high rate of production because of more factories. The colonists of the Chesapeake Bay region, on the other hand, led harder lives compared to that of the colonists of New England. The Chesapeake Bay had an unhealthy environment, bad eating diets, and intolerable labor.
There were a myriad of differences between Great Britain and her American colonies in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, but these differences can be divided into three basic categories: economic, social, and political. The original American settlers came to the colonies for varied reasons, but a common trait among these settlers was that they still considered themselves British subjects. However, as time passed, the colonists grew disenfranchised from England. Separated from the king by three thousand miles and living in a primitive environment where obtaining simple necessities was a struggle, pragmatism became the common thread throughout all daily life in the colonies. It was this pragmatism that led the colonists to create their own society with a unique culture and system of economics and politics.
While residing in England, the Puritans and faithful Catholics faced prosecution, which led to their immigration to the New World. Most left England to avoid further harassment. Many groups and parishes applied for charters to America and, led by faithful ministers, the Pilgrims and Puritans made the long voyage to North America. Their religion became a unique element in the New England colonies by 1700. Before landing, the groups settled on agreements, signing laws and compacts to ensure a community effort towards survival when they came to shore, settling in New England. Their strong sense of community and faith in God led them to develop a hardworking society by year 1700, which Documents A and D express through the explanation of how the Pilgrims and Puritans plan to develop...
The establishment of colonies in America took place within distinct circumstances. Some colonies were founded for the purpose of political and religious havens and pursuit of individual freedom and happiness. People came to the New World expecting a place where the rules in the Old World, such as hereditary aristocracies and dominance of church and state, would not apply. Other colonies such as the Carolinas, and Pennsylvania were established by either proprietors, or individuals who had an ideal for a place that could embrace everyone with his/her own will. With people who sought liberty in believes and equality in rights and founders of colonies who were not under direct rule or servitude to the Kings and Queens in Europe, the English colonies
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.
Though the Puritans, as well as some later groups, fled to the American colonies to escape religious persecution or restrictions, the fact remains that the Puritans had been granted "a charter from King James" for their settlement. Thus, the colonists who came to America for religious reasons were serving the primary purpose of generating profits for the Mother country of England (Boorstin et al.