Jamestown and Plymouth

Jamestown and Plymouth are both two historical areas that Americans will always look upon in awe; as founders of the colonies within our states, and historically as a great feat. The foundation of these colonies came with much sacrifice, pain, and love, in hopes that the sacrifices would outweigh the personal gains.

Both John Smith and William Bradford hoped to establish cities where they could live that held great power: Jamestown, the power of money and men; Plymouth, the power of religious freedom and love. John Smith, after some time in Jamestown writes, "They are building a strong fort, they hope shortly to finish, in the interim they are well provided for: their number is about a hundred persons, all in health, and well near sixty acres of ground well planted with corn, besides their gardens well replenished with useful fruits; and if their adventures would but furnish them with necessities for fishing, their wants would quickly be supplied." (p. 71). This account of the people in Jamestown at the time showcases the wealth that they have built up, their storage of food, and their ability to work utilizing their resources.

William Bradford writes about how the people in Plymouth were unified, they sought each other's assistance because they truly needed each other's skills to be able to survive. Their love for each other and their freedom to now worship God how they wanted to, also helped them unify. After some time, Bradford describes a situation where they have gotten comfortable, have enough food/crops, and are starting to go astray. The title of this piece is Prosperity Weakens Community, which is interesting, since the thriving society although backwards from the original colonization of Plymouth, is something that draws them apart. " -- by which means corn and cattle rose to a great price, by which many were much enriched, and commodities grew plentiful; and yet in other regards this benefit turned to their hurt, and this accession of strength to their weakness. For now as their stocks increased, and the increase vendible, there was no longer any holding them together but now they must of necessity go to their great lots -- ." (p. 129).

Envisioning this scene, where the persecutions that took place in England caused these people to take great risks to sail across the ocean to try to locate the Americas for religious freedom; and yet found themselves in a situation no longer unified and dependent on themselves and their wealth is quite saddening.

Power can be an extreme that does cause great separation, which occurred in both Plymouth and Jamestown, in John Smith's relationships with the Indians, and in Plymouths turmoil in their growing financial and economical situation. While both of these colonies were established with great ambitions and hope for prosperity, they were easily torn apart by power.

Works Cited

Franklin, Wayne et all. The Norton Anthology of American Literature. New York, 2007. Print.