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Jamestown Vs Massachusetts Bay Colony Essay

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Jamestown Vs Massachusetts Bay Colony Essay
Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement. Its founding expedition was launched by the Virginia Company of London, purely for profit. The 144 men who set sail for America in 1607 were entrepreneurs, meaning that their main reasons for settling in Virginia were for economic gain. The expedition was chartered by James I of England, making the future site of Jamestown a royal colony, and therefore supported by England. The men who traveled to Virginia were not known for their work ethic; they would rather have other people do the hard work for them. The majority of their work upon reaching Jamestown consisted of searching for gold, lumber, tar, pitch, and iron. These items were wanted for export by England. Because the settlers spent …show more content…
A large number of Puritan merchants obtained a grant of land for Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and acquired a charter form the king to create the Massachusetts Bay Company. This meant that Massachusetts and New Hampshire were part of a Charter Colony—supported by a Company instead of the crown. A large migration of 17 ships and 1,000 people set sail for New England for one reason: to build a Puritan refuge. Their main goal was religious freedom instead of economic gain; the Puritans only wanted freedom from the crown. They elected John Winthrop as governor, and soon established several towns within New England. The Puritans were hard working people. They believed that their work ethic led to material success, which was evidence of God’s favor. Because of this, the Puritan settlers were quick to establish farms and set up communities based on family and hard work. They had a rough beginning, as well, but nowhere near as bad as Jamestown. Their belief in building a “city upon a hill” inspired the community to stay close to God and family. This dominance of families caused a feeling of commitment to the community and a sense of order among settlers. However, Massachusetts Bay was a theocracy- meaning there was no separation between church and state. The Puritans had no more religious freedom than they had in England. This just encouraged them to work even harder for the betterment of the

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