Compare and contrast the two documents related to passengers travelling to the English Colonies in North America. What do the documents tell us about the reasons people would want to come to America? What kind of colony are they looking to create?
http://sped.rcs.net/technology/readingcomprehension/Asking%20Questions%20and%20Drawing%20Inferences.pdf
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23 comments:
i thought it was interesting how the colonists from jamestown left their families. i realize that they settled for different reasons than the colonists that settled in Mass, but how could they just leave the ones they love? Could you guys do that?
I dont think so, but I wouldn't really want to go to either place anyways. Mass is too strict and religious, but Jamestown seems like an awful, evil place full of sick people, i would rather just stay in england and deal with it.
You can tell from both documents that England wasn't a good place to be in 1635. People obviously could not believe what they wanted to there and some must have also felt that opportunities were limited for them. It's interesting that many people wanted to get out of there for many different reasons.
I don't think it [England] was a bad place to live. It was one of the largest empires in the world. It just was too strict. by not letting people have their freedom Britain drove everyone away. especially the poor. The rich were fat and happy and in good standing with the country, they couldn't afford to leave. And if the Pilgrims didn't leave there might not be an America as we know it today.
Empire means England owned colonies that they wanted to exploit, control, or, in the case of North America, populate. The idea of empire in itself indicates a desire to move out of England due to a variety of reasons. The real question is why these people?
I think that the their greed for gold drove them to leave the ones they loved. Many of the young men that when to Virginia in the first place did not have any family, it would be a good opportunity for those young men if they no longer had any family. However they did not make the best out of the situation they were given.
For the record I enjoyed Andrew's insightful analysis the most. To Bethany i'd say that if those men's allegiance was as wavering and fickle as it was towards their country of England than it doesn't surprise me in the least that they'd have the false sense of audacity enough to leave their homes and families in search of gold and prosperity. However there isn't any way of knowing with any authority that these men had homes and families to leave. Perhaps they were widowers, depressive and discontent with their life alone in England. Most were young enough to be bachelors, probably wifeless, leaving for a thrill and some pockets filled with shiny minerals. But whatever the reason was there must have been one for the families to travel together and the single men to travel together. ALso notice the way the record of the men has a title on the top of the log claiming them as sworn in for the cause of merchantry while the families and ministers have none like that. Let that be a testament to the sexism and belligerence towards women of that time.
Did anyone notice that the passengers en route to Virginia had to swear allegiance. So I believe that they were not headed to Virginia for religious freedom, maybe more for a shot at one of the eleven women on board. Quick question, does anyone know when the ULTIMO of July is?
PS HA! I found family on board the Virginia ship. Notice the last two names on the roster. Sisters!
In regards to what Connor said, the men, and eleven women, probably came over for a new scene and possibly some greediness towards riches...the families,we all know, most likely chose New England for religious freedom. I thought it was interesting that they listed the jobs people had, and how they were related to one another. The varieties of different jobs may have been useful. Personally, if I had to, I would have chosen New England, to be with families, ranging from the young to old-also for the climate, although winters may have been harsh. The single people in Virginia may have run into problems , being in one age group, and the majority being male, but who knows what their skills were...
I think that it's really obvious that both groups of people were going to America for two different reasons. The first list had people who brought their families and their servants, which meant that they were going to try and make a living in America. The people on the second list were mostly young males who were probably looking more to become rich easily from all the gold they thought they were going to find. I think I would've chosen to live in New England, since the lifestyle seems more stable. Sure, a lot of gold would be nice, but what good is it to have if your one of the guys on the ship and you're all alone because eleven other guys already called dibs on the eleven girls and started a family? It just doesn't seem like it will go anywhere, especially if they didn't find gold [which they didn't]
I would have to agree with Bri, the main difference in the documents is obviously that they were going to the New World for completely different reasons. So because of their different reasons, it affected who they brought and where they wanted to go. The settlers in New England came here to be left alone. No one wants to live in New England because the weather is very cold. They hoped to not be bothered. Young men went to Virginia, probably in search of gold. The women were probably ugly and needed a husband real bad, they must have been in search of a new life. – ha ha big B
I would have totally just stayed in New England, to much of a pain to do all that traveling stuff.
i found connor barry's essay very insightful and i am in agreement with most everything he said. With that said i don't think that they were unhappy or discontent at all because they had to swear an oath of alliegence to the church of England if they were unhappy many of them would have been found on the ship to New England
plus most of the men on the ship were 24 average it's hard to believe that they would have any families to consider leaving and i would believe that the attractiveness of a full pocket of gold would be enough to take them away from their families
Also notice that the new start in America could provide an ability to jump up in the social community it would be alot easier single then with a family to provide for
The ship that sailed to Massachusetts carried families that had left England in search of a better life for their childern and more importantly religous freedom. The group that landed in Virginia left their families in England in order to search for gold. These people didn't care about religouse freedom, but wealth and power.
I totally agree with Cbarry...even though it took me forever to read it. :) Virgina reminds me of a modern day Vegas. Everyone goes there to get rich. However I know we've talked a lot about the push-pull factor, and why people would want to leave, but what about the flip side, staying in Europe. If I was in that situation, I don't think that I would uproot myself, to risk dying on a boat, or later in a poor Malaria infested town, with the risk of losing everything I have. I think I would rather stay and deal with the problems, then try and take on some more.
However, to answer the assignment, obviously there were the major difference that we pointed out in class. Families were heading to New England, while single ppeople were heading to Virginia. Also the ages of the two groups were different as well. The similarities were mostly the push pull factors. It looks like the New Englander's were trying to create a family oriented colony, and the people who were heading to Virginia seemed to not be setting up a colony, but more just get in, get rich, and get out. Just one girls opinion:)
I agree with moslty everything everyone is saying, but i do think that the differences in the rosters had a lot to do with the different pushes and pulls for the different groups of people, like we talked about in class. the group, mainly younger men and single women, wanted to go to virginia to strike it rich and more for an adventurous aspect then a family or religious aspect like the group headed for new england. that group was all families, so they really just wanted to get away from england...but still have a civilized community. it seems like they wanted to have the life they had in england, but with more freedoms and obvioulsly away from england. i thought it was really cool how you can look at a simple roster and learn all these things about our early history just from two lists!
From both documents you could see clear differences in each colony. Virginia was driven by wealth many of the people would go in hopes of striking it rich where so many farmers from England has lost their jobs so they had really no choice and risked their lives in hope of a better life. In the Mass colony they left more willingly in hope of changing the Church of England. Both of their reasons were very different and had many different effects on each community.
the main difference in the documents is the fact that the two ships are going to the new world for different reasons. The colonists that went to mass were searching for religious freedom. They were all families. The people on the ship to Jamestown were mostly young single men. They were most likely looking to find riches and become wealthy. I would rather settle with the colonists in Mass because i would have the support of my family and aviod living lonely.
i'd have to agree with michelle and bri, obviously the two ships left for two different reasons, each ship had different intentions with what they wanted to do in the new world. the ship headed for Virginia didn't leave for religious freedom, they left so the could get rich and start over. Whereas the ship headed to New England left so they could have religious freedom for themselves and their families.
The amount of information one can pull from these two documents is amazing to me. I wonder if the jamestown colonists want to make a permanent settlment. If they do mean to, I don't see how they will with so few women.
i'm pretty sure i sent this one to you over e-mail a while ago. just making sure. thanks
one document was full of families which meant that their colony was going to be a much more family oriented one. the other document was full of single men who were either going to try and get rich or work hard for a living in the new world.
Both documents are alike in the sense that both groups are departing England of hope of settling in the new land. They contrast because the first document enlist a group of emigrants who seek religious freedom from the dread soverign king of england where as the other group of emigrants consist of mostly men who intend to create a structured goveremnt under the superviosion and loyalty to the King.
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