Compare (what was similar) and contrast (what was different) one specific aspect of Jamestown and
Plymouth. Your topic could include several of the various factors that affected each colony, including:
founding motive (why each colony was started)
economy (how each colony survived economically and/or made money, both in theory and in practice)
food situation (or lack thereof, relating to health and sickness)
labor force (company employees vs. indentured servants and landowners)
diplomacy with Native Americans (John Smith & Pocahontas vs. Stephen Hopkins & Squanto)
government (Jamestown’s General Assembly vs. Plymouth’s Mayflower Compact)
religious organization (Anglicanism in Jamestown, Separatism in Plymouth)
Terms: during the course of your essay, describe in detail 2 terms from each set below (i.e., 2 from Set #1 and another 2 from
Set #2), focusing on the context (background), definition, and significance (or after-effect) of each of your 2 terms. (NOTE:
this will be the same description format you’ll use for terms on the midterm and final exam, so this is practice for the future!)
Set #1 = Jamestown Colony (Virginia)
the Virginia Company of London, 1606-1624
the “starving time”, 1609-1610
Bermuda, 1609+
headrights vs. indentured servitude, 1618-1690s
food crops vs. cash crops
the Virginia Massacre, 1622
Set #2 = Plymouth Colony (Cape Cod, New England)
the Established Church of England (Anglican Church), 1530+
Separatist Brethren (“Pilgrims” in Plymouth Colony, 1620+)
“religious freedom”
the “Mayflower Compact”, Nov. 1620
Sample Solution
