Colonization

Although New England and the Chesapeake regions were settled largely by people of English origin, by

1700 the regions had evolved into two distinct societies. I have described both societies in an attempt to

In 1607 a group of merchants established England’s first permanent colony in North America at

Jamestown, Virginia. They operated as a joint-stock company that allowed them to sell shares of stock in

their company and use the pooled investment capital to outfit and supply overseas expeditions. This joint

stock company operated under a charter from James I with a concern for bringing Christian religion to the

native people. However, most of the settlers probably agreed with Captain John Smith that the real aim

Profits were elusive in the early years; expectations of gold and other minerals, trade with Indians for

beaver and deer skins were not to be had by the colonists. Many Virginia colonists died of dysentery,

malaria and malnutrition. The Virginia Company sent a diverse collection of people to Jamestown; there

were artists and glassmakers, as well as unskilled servants. Both types of people ad

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The surviving planters felt they had justified reasons for the

destruction of the Indians.

Widows and widowers often remarried soon after the death of their spouse, creating a complex web of

family life. Early economic gains were transformed into substantial

housing. Because of mortality, the Chesapeake settlers remained, for most of the seventeenth-century, a

land of immigrants rather than a land of settled families. This attack led to the

bankruptcy of the Virginia Company. In 1633, Salem’s Puritan minister, Roger Williams, began to voice disturbing opinions on church

and government policies. Life was too uncertain and the tobacco economy was too volatile. Civil and religious transgressors were rooted out and severely punished.

Their intention was to establish communities of pure Christians who collectively swore a covenant with

God to work for his ends. Relations between the colonists and the Indians were bitter from the beginning. Williams denounced mandatory worship and argued that government officials

should not interfere with religious matters.

The village was the vital center of Puritan life. Placing religion at the center of their lives, Puritans

emphasized the ability to read catechisms, psalmbooks and especially the Bible. If diseases did not kill them, many succumbed to the

brutal work routine that harsh masters imposed upon them. Many farmers

established agriculture fields set outside the village.

Approximate Word count = 1608
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

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