DOCUMENT PROJECT 2

Comparing Virginia and Massachusetts Bay Colonies

The first English settlers who came to North America arrived with different goals. When John Smith (Document 2.1) and the Virginia Company landed in Jamestown in May 1608, they sought wealth and profit and hoped to extend the crown’s imperial reach in the New World. Farther north about two decades later, the Puritans settled Massachusetts Bay to flee religious persecution. Under the leadership of Governor John Winthrop (Document 2.3), they hoped to set an example of godly behavior for the rest of the world, although they were not averse to achieving economic success as well. In both places, however, many colonists found that their lives were incredibly difficult. Food was scarce, sickness ran rampant, and colonists had to address the fact that the lands they claimed were already inhabited by Indians (Document 2.2) who would have a say in the future of both colonies. As Richard Frethorne (Document 2.4) and the son of William Pond (Document 2.5) learned, the realities of life in the colonies often failed to live up to the hopes of the colonists.

The following documents examine settlements in Virginia and Massachusetts Bay. As you read, consider not only the differences between the two colonies but also what they shared in common.