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Compare And Contrast Jamestown And Massachusetts Bay Colony

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On paper, both Jamestown and Massachusetts Bay Colony were founded by charter companies in hopes of finding silver and gold in North America. However, the real reasons each colony was founded differed. Jamestown was founded by the Virginia Company of London, while the Massachusetts Bay Colony was founded by the Massachusetts Bay Company. Both colonies ran into similar difficulties after establishment. In the end, both were able to find a way to prosper.
The charters for both colonies stated they wanted to find silver and gold. In reality, the settlers did want to find riches, but also had other motives. Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in North America and was founded in 1607. England wanted a settlement in the New World. Jamestown settlers went in search of gold and silver deposits as well as river route to Pacific Ocean. The hope was the river route would allow for easier trade with Asia. The Jamestown settlers included people not accustomed to hard …show more content…

The settlers were 1000 well-educated Puritan refugees from England. They left England due to increasing pressure against religious dissenters. The Puritans created the Massachusetts Bay Company and convinced the king to give them a charter. The king was unaware of their religious views and they sold him on the chance of finding gold and silver. Even though the king thought the reason for settlement was finding silver and gold, the real reason was religious freedom. The Puritans wanted to be able to practice religion as they saw fit.
The initial failures faced by both settlements were very similar. Early problems included hunger, illness, harsh winters, and attacks by local Indian tribes. Additionally, the Massachusetts Bay Colony lacked fresh water and arrived later in the year than they wanted. This late arrival gave them less time to prepare provisions and buildings for the

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