Compare And Contrast Winthrop And Jamestown Settlers

To most Americans especially schoolchildren, the term "colonist" stimulates images of strong Pilgrims setting sail on the Mayflower or Arbella to land in the America’s—an impressive legend of hard-work and purpose. The records of John Smith, William Bradford, and John Winthrop, testify that in most cases the images evoked are true. Records have indicated that the main difference between the adventures of the Jamestown settlers and those of the pilgrims lies in the background of the settlers themselves. The settlers of Jamestown were gentleman who lacked labor skills and thought that they would find riches upon arrival. They did not know how to grow crops or hunt. The recorded accounts of John Smith clearly indicate that these men were not
prepared to work and did not want to work, because in England they had been businessmen. Unlike the settlers of Jamestown, the Pilgrims who set sail in the Mayflower and Arbella were skilled, hardworking, and self-disciplined. In addition, it is important to note that unlike the settlers of 1607, they settled as families for the most part.
Records have also shown that differences are found behind the motives for the creation of each settlement.
The first permanent settlement founded by the Virginia Company at Jamestown was purely an economical venture. The settlers had made their great venture in hopes of finding riches such as gold, silver, and natural good to use for the good of England. Plymouth colony was settled by separatists from the Church of England who wanted to avoid religious persecution Massachusetts Bay Colony was settled by the Puritans for the same reasons. The aim was to start a new beginning in their colony away from England and her
rule.
It is with these differences in goal and reasoning that different governments were laid in each settlement.
William Bradford’s sourcebook on Plymouth and John Winthrop’s model of government for the Massachusetts Bay Colony both indicate the theocracy behind these two settlements, but also the well organization of government. This vast difference is clearly indicated by comparing the setting up of a government in Plymouth and Jamestown. Plymouth was governed in accordance with the terms of the famous "Mayflower Compact," an agreement binding all to conform to the will of the majority. This agreement was established well before their landing on the colony. However, in the case of the Jamestown settlement no prior agreement between the settlers is accounted for. In their case, the orders of government and the governor were not declared until the settlers’ arrival in Virginia. This indicates that the common values and goals behind the Pilgrims is what aided them in times of hardships and despair. Although discontent and mutinous speeches were sometimes accounted for in the early beginnings of the Plymouth settlements as indicated in Winthrop’s records; the problems were dealt with and the unity was almost always secured. This is in contrast to the feuding leaders and gross mismanagement that is accounted for in the records of John Smith.
The model of Christian Charity written by Governor John Winthrop is an example of what united the early settlers in Plymouth. It is the common
values and agreement on lifestyle that were recorded in Winthrop’s writing that served as a great incentive to keep unity and order under the hard realities of the new frontiers
All of the settlers whether in Jamestown, Plymouth, or Massachusetts Bay Colony had to face hardships. Hunger and frigid winters in addition to dealing with Indians are all common factors that the settlers had to face. However, the manner in which the settlers interacted with their environment and the attitude they had in relation to it are relatively different.
The different work ethic mentioned before also includes the different interaction settlers had with the environment. In Jamestown, the settles were clearly more concerned with finding the gold and gaining. The short sighted dedication for riches left little time for agriculture and the planning ahead for cases of food shortage. This point is a main reason why the death rates in Jamestown were so high. This is in contrast to the settlers of Plymouth who were under pressure from the ship master to settle off shore as soon as possible. This pressure was fueled with the knowledge that unlike the Jamestown settlers, they did not have the comforting thoughts of returning back to England if all else failed. With their long term thinking, these settlers acknowledged the importance of agriculture and making treaties with Indians as a priority in order to save the people from hunger and feuds with the Indians.
In summary, a careful comparison of the religious, economical, and personal goal in each settlement would provide a deeper understanding of the vast difference each expedition had, and the different contribution it had in making America what it is today.