John Smith Compare And Contrast Plymouth And Jamestown

Jamestown was first built in the year 1607 with the purpose of establishing a colony that would send back supplies and gold. Jamestown started to collapse very soon after its creation because of mosquitos that carried disease and the brackish water that leaked into their water supply. They decided to trade with the Indians in order to survive, but most of the Indians realized it would be easier to kill them or let them die out. In 1608 a man by the name of John Smith took control of the colony and stated that if a man did not work, he would not eat. Smith was then captured by the Indians and as soon as he was about to be killed, Pocahontas saved him. Pocahontas helped the English establish peaceful terms with the Indians, but she was then captured and used as a bargaining chip by the English. A year later John Rolfe arrived from England with tobacco, this crop effectively saved Jamestown.

In the early 1600's, 102 people called pilgrims left England for America because of religious reasons. During the journey across the ocean they all singed the Mayflower Compact, which
Both Plymouth and Jamestown were less than ideal places to settle, mostly because of the location. Plymouth had sandy soil that was difficult to grow crops in, whereas Jamestown had a brackish water supply, was swampy, and had mosquitos. Both settlements also had interactions with native tribes, however, Plymouth's interactions were peaceful, but Jamestown's were violent. Finally, one similarity that they had was that they were both governed. The main difference between the governments in both towns was that the government in Plymouth was actually the people governing themselves whereas the government in Jamestown was lead by England and John