COMPARISON OF
JAMESTOWN AND
PLYMOUTH
MOTIVATIONS FOR
JAMESTOWN COLONIZATION
• Economic prosperity
• Single men hoped to make
fortunes in Virginia and
return to England
• English wanted to
prevent Spanish and
French from expanding
territorial claims in
North America.
MOTIVATIONS FOR PLYMOUTH
COLONIZATION
• Religious freedomPuritans persecuted
for rebelling
against the Church
of England
• Felt Church of
England was still
too close to
Catholicism
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
FOUNDING OF JAMESTOWN
COLONY
• Founded 1607
• Funded by London
Company, a private
enterprise, not King
James
• Charter colony
• Company recruited
people with promises
of gold that could be
found by those who
made trip
• King made decisions on
government of colony
FOUNDING OF PLYMOUTH
COLONY
• Founded 1620
• Funded by London jointstock company
• Separatists granted land in
Virginia, but instead settled
in Massachusetts after
going off course
• Signed Mayflower Compact
to provide self-government
since were not settling in
Virginia
EARLY DIFFICULTIES IN
JAMESTOWN
• Laziness of colonistsrefused to do manual labor
• Disease and starvation
killed 80% of colonists in
the first year
• Failed attempts to
befriend natives led to
confrontations
EARLY DIFFICULTIES IN
PLYMOUTH
• Mayflower arrived
in Plymouth on Dec.
21 in winter.
• During harsh winter
54% died
• Early attempts at
growing crops failed
• Taught how to grow
crops by Squanto
FACTORS OF JAMESTOWN SUCCESS
• Captain John Smith
takes control of
government
•
•
•
“No work, no eat” policy
Firm leadership gives
direction during difficult
early colonization
Growing tobacco made the
land of the colony valuable
FACTORS OF PLYMOUTH
SUCCESS
• Strength of Mayflower
Compact
• William Bradford and Miles
Standish provide leadership
• Pilgrims able to grow corn
(taught from natives)
• Initial cooperation of Native
Indians and Pilgrims allows
for the growth of the colony
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.