Compare and Contrast Jamestown and Plymouth
Life in Jamestown and Plymouth was very difficult. Each group was met with successes
and failures. Using the provided document excerpts, and your knowledge of U.S.
History, compare and contrast the daily life in Jamestown and Plymouth. Be sure to use
evidence from the text to support your writing.
Using: excerpts from A Historie of Virginia, (“starving time”) John Smith and excerpts
from Of Plymouth Plantation, William Bradford.
Standards: 8.2 (Jamestown) and 8.3 (Plymouth)
“The Starving Time”: John Smith Recounts the Early History of Jamestown, 1609
Introduction: The organizers of the first English settlement at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607 had
visions of easy wealth and abundant plunder. The colonists, a group with little agricultural
experience and weighted with gentry, instead found a swampy and disease-ridden site. The
local Indians were unwilling to labor for them. Few survived the first difficult winters. Captain
John Smith had been a soldier, explorer, and adventurer. With the colony in near chaos, he took
over the government of the colony in 1608 and instituted a policy of rigid discipline and
agricultural cultivation. When a gunpowder accident forced his return to England in 1608, the
colonists faced a disastrous winter known as “starving time.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The day before Captaine Smith returned for England with the ships, Captaine Davis arrived in a
small Pinace, with some sixteene proper men more: To these were added a company from
James towne, under the command of Captaine John Sickelmore alias Ratliffe, to inhabit Point
Comfort. Captaine Martin and Captaine West, having lost their boats and neere halfe their men
among the Salvages, were returned to James towne; for the Salvages no sooner understood
Smith was gone, but they all revolted, and did spoile and murther all they incountered. Now wee
were all constrained to live onely on that Smith had onely for his owne Companie, for the rest
had consumed their proportions, and now they had twentie Presidents with all their
appurtenances: Master Piercie our new President, was so sicke hee could neither goe nor
stand. But ere all was consumed, Captaine West and Captaine Sickelmore, each with a small
ship and thirtie or fortie men well appointed, sought abroad to trade. Sickelmore upon the
confidence of Powhatan, with about thirtie others as carelesse as himselfe, were all slaine,
onely Jeffrey Shortridge escaped, and Pokahontas the Kings daughter saved a boy called
Henry Spilman, that lived many yeeres after, by her meanes, amongst the Patawomekes.
Powhatan still as he found meanes, cut off their Boats, denied them trade, so that Captaine
West set saile for England. Now we all found the losse of Captaine Smith, yea his greatest
maligners could now curse his losse: as for corne, provision and contribution from the Salvages,
we had nothing but mortall wounds, with clubs and arrowes; as for our Hogs, Hens, Goats,
Sheepe, Horse, or what lived, our commanders, officers & Salvages daily consumed them,
some small proportions sometimes we tasted, till all was devoured; then swords, armes, pieces,
or any thing, wee traded with the Salvages, whose cruell fingers were so oft imbrewed in our
blouds, that what by their crueltie, our Governours indiscretion, and the losse of our ships, of
five hundred within six moneths after Captaine Smiths departure, there remained not past sixtie
men, women and children, most miserable and poore creatures; and those were preserved for
the most part, by roots, herbes, acornes, walnuts, berries, now and then a little fish: they that
had startch in these extremities, made no small use of it; yea, even the very skinnes of our
horses. Nay, so great was our famine, that a Salvage we slew, and buried, the poorer sort tooke
him up againe and eat him, and so did divers one another boyled and stewed with roots and
herbs: And one amongst the rest did kill his wife, powdered her, and had eaten part of her
before it was knowne, for which hee was executed, as hee well deserved; now whether shee
was better roasted, boyled or carbonado’d, I know not, but of such a dish as powdered wife I
never heard of. This was that time, which still to this day we called the starving time; it were too
vile to say, and scarce to be beleeved, what we endured: but the occasion was our owne, for
want of providence, industrie and government, and not the barrennesse and defect of the
Countrie, as is generally supposed; for till then in three yeeres, for the numbers were landed us,
we had never from England provision sufficient for six moneths, though it seemed by the bils of
loading sufficient was sent us, such a glutton is the Sea, and such good fellowes the Mariners;
we as little tasted of the great proportion sent us, as they of our want and miseries, yet
notwithstanding they ever over-swayed and ruled the businesse, though we endured all that is
said, and chiefly lived on what this good Countrie naturally afforded; yet had wee beene even in
Paradice it selfe with these Governours, it would not have beene much better with us; yet there
was amongst us, who had they had the government as Captaine Smith appointed, but that they
could not maintaine it, would surely have kept us from those extremities of miseries. This in ten
daies more, would have supplanted us all with death.
But God that would not this Countrie should be unplanted, sent and Sir Thomas Gates, and Sir
George Sommers with one hundred and fiftie people most happily preserved by the Bermudas
to preserve us: strange it is to say how miraculously they were preserved in a leaking ship, as at
large you may reade in the insuing Historie of those Ilands.
Source: John Smith, The Generall Historie of Virginia, New England & The Summer Isles
(Glasgow, Scotland: James MacLehose and Sons, 1907), Vol. 1: 203–05
Accessed using: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6593
Of Plymouth Plantation
An Electronic Edition
William Bradford 1590-1657
Original Source: Bradford's History of Plymouth Plantation, 1606-1646. Ed. William T. Davis.
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1908
Copyright 2003. This text is freely available provided the text is distributed with the header
information provided.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The 9. Chap.
Of their vioage, and how they passed the sea, and o f their safe arrival at Cape Codd.
SEPTR : 6. These troubls being blowne over, and now all being compacte togeather in one
shipe,they put to sea againe with a prosperus winde, which continued diverce days togeather,
which was some incouragmente unto them; yet according to the, usuall maner many were
alicted with seasicknes. And I may not omite hear a spetiall worke of Gods providente. Ther was
a proud and very profane yonge man, one of the sea-men, of a lustie, able body, which made
him the more hauty; he would allway be contemning the poore people in their sicknes, and
cursing them dayly with greevous execrations, and did not let to tell them, that he hoped to help
to cast halfe of them over board before they came to their jurneys end, and to make mery with
what they had; and if he were by any gently reproved, he would curse and swear rnost bitterly.
But it plased God before they came halfe seas over, to smite this yong man with a greeveous
disease, of which he dyed in a desperate maner, and so was him selfe the first that was throwne
overbord. Thus his curses light on his owne head; and it was an astonishmente to all his fellows,
for they noted it to be the just hand of God upon him.
After they had injoyed faire winds and weather for a season, they were incountred many times
with crosse winds, and mette with many feirce stormes, with which the shipe was
shroudlyshaken, and her upper works madeo very leakie; and one of the maine beames in the
midd ships was bowed and craked, which put them in some fear that the shipe could not be able
to performe the vioage. So some of the cheefe of the company, perceiveing the mariners to
faare the suffisiencie of the shipe, as appeared by their mutterings, they entred into serious
consulltation with the mr and other officers of the ship, to consider in time of the danger; and
rather to returne then to cast them selves into a desperate and inevitable perill. And truly ther
was great distraction and differance of opinion amongst the mariners them selves; faine would
they doe what could be done for their wages sake, (being now halfe the seas over,) and on the
other hand they were loath to hazard their lives too desperately. But in examening of all
opinions, the lnr and others affirmed they knew the ship to be stronge and firme under water;
and for the buckling of the maine beame, ther was a great iron scrue the passengers brought
out of Holland, which would raise the beame into his place; the which being done, the carpenter
and mr affirmed that with a post put under it, set firme in the lower deck, and otherways bounde,
he would make it sufficiente. And as for the decks and uper workes they would calke them as
well as they could and though with the workeing of the ship they would not longe keepe stanch,
yet ther would otherwise be no great danger, if they did not overpress her with sails. So they
commited thern selves to the will of God, and resolved to proseede. In sundrie of these stormes
the winds were so feirce, and the seas so high, as they could not beare a knote of saile, but
were forced to hull, for diverce days togither. And in one of them, as they thus lay at hull, in a
mighty storme, a lustie yonge man (called Jolln Howland) coming upon some occasion aboye
the grattings, was, with a seele of the shipe throwne into [the] sea; but it pleased God that he
caught hould of the top-saile halliards, which hunge over board, and rane out at length; yet he
held his hould (though he was sundrie fadomes under water) till he was hald up by the same
rope to the brime of the water, and then with a boat hooke and other means got into the shipe
againe, and his life saved; and though he was something ill with it, yet he lived many years
after, and became a profitable member both in church and commone wealthe. In all this viage
ther died but one of the passengers, which was William Butten, a youth, servant to Samuell
Fuller, when they drew near the coast. But to omite other things, (that I may be breefe,) after
longe beating at sea they fell with that land which is called Cape Cod; the which being made
and certainly knowne to be it, they were not a litle joyfull. After some deliberation had amongst
them selves and with the mr of the ship, they y tacked aboute and resolved to stande for the
southward (the wind and weather being faire) to finde some place aboute Hudsons river for their
habitation. But after they had sailed that course aboute halfe the day, they fell amongst
deangerous shoulds and roring breakers, and they were so farr intangled ther with as they
conceived them selves in great danger; and the wind shrinking upon them withall, they resolved
to bear up againe for the Cape, and thought them selves hapy to gett out of those dangers
before night overtooke them, as by Gods providence they did. And the next day they gott into
the Cape-harbor wher they ridd in saftie. A word or too by the way of this cape; it was thus first
named by Capten Gosnole and his company, Anoo: 1602, and after by Capten Smith was caled
Cape James; but it retains the former name amongst seamen. Also that pointe which first
shewed those dangerous shoulds unto them, they called Pointe Care, and Tuckers Terrour; but
the French and Dutch to this day call it Malabarr, by reason of those perilous shoulds, and the
losses they have suffered their.
Being thus arived in a good harbor and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and
blessed the God of heaven, who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and
delivered them from all the periles and miseries therof, againe to set their feete on the firme and
stable earth, their proper elemente. And no marvell if they were thus joyefull, seeing wise
Seneca was so affected with sailing a few miles on the coast of his owne Italy; as he affirmed,3
that he had rather remaine twentie years on his way by land, then pass by sea to any place in a
short time; so tedious and dreadfull was the same unto him.But hear I cannot but stay and make
a pause, and stand half amased at this poore peoples presente condition; and so I thinke will
the reader too, when he well considera the same. Being thus passed the vast ocean, and a sea
of troubles before in their preparation (as may be remembred by that which vente before), they
had now no freinds to wellcome them, )for inns to entertaine or refresh their weatherbeaten
bodys, no houses or much less townes to repaire too, to seeke for succoure. It is recorded in
scriptureas, a mercie to the apostle and his shipwraked company, that the barbarians shewed
them no smale kindnes in refreshing them, but these savage barbarians, when they mette with
them (as after will appeare) were readier to fill their sids full of arrows then otherwise. And for
the season it vas winter, and they that know the winters of that cuntrie know them to be sharp
and violent, and subjecte to cruell and feirce stormes, deangerous to travill to known places,
much more to serch an unknown coast. Besids, what could they see but a hidious and desolate
wildernes, full of wild beasts and willd men? and what multituds ther might be of them they knew
not. Nether could they, as it were, goe up to the tope of Pisgah, to vew from this willdernes a
more goodly cuntrie to feed their hops; for which way soever they turnd their eys (save upward
to the heavens) they could have litle solace or content in respecte of any outward objects. `For
summer being done, all things stand upon them with a wetherbeaten face; and the whole
countrie, full of woods and thickets, represented a wild and savage heiw. If they looked behind
them, ther vas the mighty otean which they had passed, and vas now as a maine barr and
goulfe to seperate them from all the civill parts of the world. If it be said they had a ship to
sucour them, it is trew; but what heard they daly from the mr and company ? but that with
speede they should looke out a place with their shallop, wher they would be at some near
distante; for the season vas shuch as he would not stirr from thence till a safe harbor vas
discovered by them wher they would be, and he might goe without danger; and that victells
consumed apace, but he must and would keepe sufflcient for them selves and their returne.
Yea, it vas muttered by some, that if they gott not a place in time, they would turne them and
their goods ashore and leave them. Let it also be considred what weake hopes of supply and
succoure they left behinde them, that might bear up their minds in this sade condition and trialls
they were under; and they could not but be very smale. It is true, indeed, the affections and love
of their brethren at Leyden vas cordiall and entire towards them, but they had litle power to help
them, or them selves; and how the case stode betweene them and the marchanta at their
coming away, hath allready been declared. What could now sustaine them but the spirite of God
and his grace? May not and ought not the children of these fathers rightly soy: Our f aithers
were Englishmen which come over this great otean, and were ready to perish in this willdernes;
but they eried unto the Lord, and he heard their voyce, and looked on their adversitie, etc. Let
them ther f ore praise the Lord, because he is good, and his mercies endure for ever. Yea, let
them which have been redeemed of the Lord, shew how he hath delivered them from the hand
of the oppressour. When they wandered in the deserte willdernes out of the way, and found no
citie to dwell in, both hungrie, and thirstie, their sowle vas overwhelmed in them. Let them
confesa before the Lord his loving kindnes, and his wonderfull works be fore the sons of men.