Virginia and Massachusetts

Question 1: Virginia and Massachusetts

The first permanent European settlement in the new world was Jamestown (now called Virginia) 1607. 105 men travelled from England to the new world aboard Discovery, Susan Constant, and Godspeed. After 13 years, more than a hundred new settlers boarded Mayflower and docked at Massachusetts, then referred to as Plymouth. English settlement in the new world was thus born (Litke, 2013).

Location

Jamestown was located in an area with a viable defensive position and anchorage. The settlers established plantations because of good soil fertility warm climate. As a result, Jamestown developed as an agricultural center. Use of slaves as farm workers became rampant. On the other hand, Plymouth had an excellent harbor and proper anchorage, but the climate was cold and thin. A large portion of the land area composed of rocky soil, hence a limitation to farming. As such, most settlers engaged in fishing, lumbering, and trade. Others were involved in shipbuilding.

Economic Factors

Virginia was colonized because of economic reasons. In the year 1606, London Virginia Company became a key sponsor of Virginia colony. The firm’s organizers intended to expand European trade and establish an extensive market for the manufactured goods in England. They speculated high financial gains via investments in company stock shares. Contrastingly, religious reasons rather than economic reasons drove puritans to establish Massachusetts. Puritans established Mayflower compact as their government because of their large population.

Political

In the year 1969, a legislative assembly was conceived in Jamestown church. Historically, Virginia is considered the epicenter of America’s political landscape. Jamestown was less successful as compared to Massachusetts. Plymouth’s government was informal--its residents were free from regulatory policies.

Question 2:  Political Radicalization in America

 Salutary neglect policy allowed most of the American colonies to live in relative isolation until the end of 18^th Century. There was a little British influence because the thirteen colonies governed themselves. Each had a legislative arm that taxed the citizens and passed new laws. However, more than half of the colonies maintained loyalty to British King through recognition of English parliament as the ultimate power. Therefore, an overreliance on Britain for protection and economic success was imminent.

            The fate of continental America rested on Paris Treaty formulated in 1763. It ruled that the French should cede its colonial territory to the British. This empowered the British government to tighten its grip on its North American holdings. In fact, the colonial power siphoned resources from the American colonies to cover for monumental debt incurred during Indian-French War.  

As the mother country interacted with its colonies, the relationship deteriorated rapidly. Antagonism marked the period between 1763 and 1773. It was during this period that the political battle lines were drawn. The revolutionary ideology emanated from the policies of colonists a decade prior to the revolution. Citizens opposed taxation or legislation without representation, hence a feud with the British government. The colonies unanimously agreed that the parliament should not meddle in colonial affairs. Such a mindset resulted in communication and unification of the thirteen colonies. Stamp Act Congress--enacted in the year 1773—served as a platform for pan-colonial meeting of representatives from distinct colonies (Jensen, 2013). Through the meeting, the leaders unified their political opinions to generate a winning strategy for the Revolutionary War.  

In Summary, it is clear that the 1763-1773 decade was an important era to launch a rebellion against colonial oppression. The events during this time mandated the need for a revolution and a breakout from the motherland.

References

Jensen, M. (2013). Tracts of the American Revolution, 1763-1776. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett.

Litke, J. B. (2013). Twilight of the Republic: Empire and Exceptionalism in the American Political Tradition.