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Thursday, October 4, 2012

The Early Colonists: Jamestown, the Massachusetts Bay Company, and Plymouth

Some of the finest recognized early colonies in the American Continent, then known as the “New World,” are the colonies of Jamestown, Plymouth, as well as the Massachusetts Bay Company. The three of these colonies aren't only the earliest; they're also the ones that started the system of English Colonization inside East Coast of Continental America, which was recognized inside future to be the “Thirteen Original Colonies” that was to be the United States. Of course it is also real that these 3 colonies have various stories, in particular in relation to their goals, their nature, and along with their experiences of both their achievement and their failure. This would be the focus of this essay; wherein the researcher would try to give a crucial observation of these 3 different colonies based upon their historical accounts.
One of the very best accounts relating to the founding with the colony of Jamestown is given by Captain John Smith, which can be observed upon the third volume from the five volume jobs entitled "The Generall Historie of Virginia, New England & the Summer Isles: Together in the True Travels, Adventures and Observations, including a Sea Grammar" (Smith, 1624). The account of Captain Smith centers upon the experiences of these early colonists vis a vis an account of Virginia and the daily lives in the colonists in that location (Smith, 1624). In this case, it is inferred that one from the primary goals with the colonists in setting up the Jamestown colony was economic; they planned to make a plantation colony where these colonists would begin a brand new life and prosper. As said from the account of Captain James:
“Captain Bartholomew Gosnold, a single with the first movers of this plantation, obtaining years solicited many of his friends, but found small assistance…but practically nothing might be effected, till by their beneficial charge and industry, it came to be apprehended by particular with the nobility, gentry, and merchants, so that his Majesty by his letters patents, gave commission for establishing councils, to direct here; and to govern, and to execute there.” (Smith, 1624).
However, it is also true that not all plans might be executed smoothly; for as mentioned above, their in which problems that in which faced, even in securing the needed needs and needs to go on in the resources and also the folks needed to secure a trip towards New World and build a colony. What's critical is, within the end, the colonists where in a position to build the colony. Of course, the nature in the colony was a pioneering one, wherever the colonists must face the challenges of surviving in an totally New World. The accounts of Captain Smith vividly recalled this, specially in their need to explore the territory, sustain their expedition, resist attacks from the natives, and discover a method to grow crops to survive, generating them not just dependent upon their mother nation for supplies (Smith, 1624). Of course, it was not just a story of failures, but also of success, wherein they exactly where able to befriend the native settlement of Powhatan, wherein accounts of Pocahontas can be given. Overall, the account from the Jamestown colony only shows the challenges and the adventures of owning to set up a new colony in an totally new place. However, you'll find also racist and chauvinist tendencies which are extremely evident, wherein the natives are noticed as “savages” that threaten their existence, despite indications of aid and cooperation within the natives (Smith, 1624).
While the Jamestown colony was primarily set up for new economic opportunities including a better life for its colonists, there's also one more pioneering colony that was observed on a mainly religious reason. Such is the case from the Plymouth Plantation colony, as stated inside accounts of William Bradford (Bradford, 1630). This colony was set up not merely by persons wanting a better life, or by individuals searching for for adventure inside a new place; over a contrary, the colonists wherever searching for a location wherever they could attain religious liberty—that is, in which they are able to obtain the freedom to method their belief and form a community centered close to divine inspiration. As mentioned from the account of Bradford:
"Our fathers have been Englishmen which came more than this very good ocean, and had been able to perish in this wilderness; but they cried unto the Lord, and He heard their voice and looked on their adversity," etc. "Let them therefore praise the Lord, since He is good: and his mercies endure forever. Yea, enable them which have been redeemed in the Lord, show how He hath delivered them during the hand in the oppressor. As soon as they wandered in the desert wilderness out on the way, and found no city to dwell in, both hungry and thirsty, their soul was overwhelmed in them." "Let them confess ahead of the Lord His loving kindness and His wonderful works before the sons of men." (Bradford, 1630).
However, as compared towards Jamestown colonists, the Plymouth colonist wherever more grateful, especially by the time as soon as Indians came and guided them on how to plant crops and survive in this new place for them, in addition to even caring to generate a treaty of the Indians. They also practiced their type community, even experimenting with communal and person farming (Bradford, 1630).
Seeking religious liberty and establishing a type community according to religious beliefs was also the case to your establishment with the Massachusetts Bay Colony by the Puritans, as said in the account of John Winthrop (Winthrop, 1630). But though the two earlier accounts have already given experiences on definitely setting up a community, this account centered upon the vision of a colony like a “Model of Christian Charity” (Winthrop, 1630). As said in this vision:
“We need to be willing to abridge ourselves of our superfluities, for ones supply of others’ necessities. We must uphold a familiar commerce together in all meekness, gentleness, patience and liberality. We need to delight in every other; make others’ conditions our own; rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together, usually having prior to our eyes our commission and community during the work, as members with the same body…may the Lord make it like that of New England. For we must look at that we shall be being a city upon a hill. The eyes of all individuals are upon us.” (Winthrop, 1630)
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