Jamestown, Virginia 1607 and Plymouth, Massachusetts are the first permanent English colonies in America.
104 men landed in Virginia in 1607 at a place they called Jamestown after the English King James. Thirteen years later, 102 religious pilgrims aboard the Mayflower landed in Massachusetts at a place they named Plymouth after their home town in England.
Both locations offered something when they settled. Jamestown offered anchorage and good defensive position, warm climate and fertile soil. The location of Virginia allowed large plantations to prosper. Plymouth offered good anchorage and excellent harbor. The cold northern climate and thin, rocky soil limited farm size.
Jamestown sent 114 men to Virginia in late 1606, the ships sailed into the rich Chesapeake Bay and up river towards what is present day Richmond in the spring of 1607. Unfortunately they did not sail far enough up river to reach fresh water for drinking. The location of Jamestown is right in the middle of what some people call the circular “toilet bowl” flow of tidal salt water and muddy fresh water.
The Puritan pilgrims returned from exile in Holland to England, where they joined the Mayflower on September 16, 1620. 102 passengers set sail for Virginia but ended up off course near present day Boston, Massachusetts. The pilgrim dissenters from the Church of England had established the Puritan or Congregational Church. The settlers from Jamestown on the other hand were members of the Anglican faith, the official Church of England, and they were looking for profit. Both groups ended up struggling for survival and needing the help of native tribes.
Jamestown and Plymouth both celebrated Thanksgiving but at different timing. Jamestown celebrated thanksgiving on December4, 1619 they celebrated the first official Thanksgiving Day. In the fall of 1621, the Pilgrims held a celebration to give thanks to God for His blessings, as we know of today this occasion was the origin of the traditional Thanksgiving.
. George Washington made a good decision by uniting the new nation when he declared Thanksgiving Day as the first national holiday.
Source:
US.VA. History textbook
http://www.nps.gov/jame/historyculture/jamestown-and-plymouth-compare-and-contrast.htm
ARALE. • Sep 15, 2014 at 9:06 pm
I can see some similarity and differences with these two groups of earlier settlers. Both of these settlers struggled for survival and got help from the Native Americans. Then, the difference is the settlers who settle at the Plymouth were looking for religion freedom, and the settlers at Jamestown were looking for business. Plus, we love Thanksgiving because there is a chance for family gather together and be grateful.