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Virginia and the New England Colonies

Various reasons accounts to why a colony becomes successful or not. It is true to claim

that New England was capable of establishing several successful colonies especially in North

America while Virginia account is one of the examples that depict failures in establishing

successful colonies. Initially focusing on Virginia, the place was infested with disease outbreaks

as well as drought (Stahle 565). It was imperative for the colonists to make alliances with the

natives so that they could understand some basics of survival in this area. Most of the ships

carried gentlemen with just a few laborers, and they hostility towards the locals cost them a lot

since they did not share information on how agriculture flourished in the area. They had little

knowledge about the climate of the area and the soil composition which put them on a tricky

situation when replenishing their food reserves which were already depleted. Citing Jamestown

colony in Virginia, this colony seemed to offer English people an opportunity to harbor a lasting

colony but eventually they failed and eventually vacated. Jamestown had established tobacco

farms which was a great idea towards cash crop farming in this area, although starvation,

diseases, and residents’ attacks overwhelmed the colonialists. Roanoke is another colony which

failed terribly with only a few English people managing to have their way back to England. In

fact, the colony was later named the Lost Colony (Stahle 566). Apart from the rivalry between

the European forces trying to settle in North America, poor planning was also a significant cause

of the failures in establishing successful colonies. Owing to the problems experienced in stabling
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the Virginia colonies, it is imperative to offer an in-depth analysis of the reasons other colonies

succeeded especially those of the New England.

Unlike the Virginia colony which was entirely based on economic prosperity, the New

England colonists came with a different approach which was spirituality. The New England

masterminds were tactical enough to engage the natives on a friendly note by posing like

missionaries, mostly the Puritans and the Pilgrims (Tindall & David). These groups move from

England since they were fed up with ceremonial Church of England and wanted to extend their

spiritual beliefs elsewhere. Most of these missionaries were of the Anglican faith and in America

they found a fresh land where they could preach their faith and convert many making various

collaborations with the locals. Setting in Plymouth, the Puritans were able to establish several

churches ad founded several tons (Tindall & David). Attendance to churches by locals was

compulsory and it was in these churches that administrative work was conducted such as

collecting taxes and appointing leaders. Grammar schools were established and in 1636, the

Harvard College for training clergies was established.

The leader of Jamestown settlement was Captain John Smith, who ruled from 1608 to

1609. John Smith was the one who sent word to King James n England the failed Lost Colony in

Virginia had been as a result of chief Powhatan who had slaughtered the colonialists. The chief

had feared from various sources that he would be overthrown by the colonists and therefore took

the option of extending a massacre towards the Lost Colony. Although he was later captured on

his explorations on the truth of Roanoke, He was able to give an account of some of the colonists

of the Lost Colony citing that they had been hiding and not dead. These colonists were known as

the Lost Colonists (Tindall & David). It was Powhatan’s brother who had informed Smith that

there were surviving colonists from the massacre his brother extended on the Lost Colony.
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From the two accounts of the Virginia’s failed colony and the New England’s successful

colonies, it is important to note that planning o acquire a colony and tactfully engaging the

natives was crucial in establishing a colony. The Virginia account indicates that the colonialists

were harsh to the natives yet they were outnumbered, most of them suffering from small pox and

other diseases and they were deprived off their food reserves (Stahle 566). New England on the

other hand established ties with the natives, learned their way of life as they preached to them,

established grammar schools to make some of them leaders in churches and trained priests. With

an established administrative system, the New England colonists were able to survive against

other odds presenting themselves.

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Works Cited

Tindall, George Brown, and David Emory Shi. America. New York, NY, W.W. Norton &

Company, Inc, 2016,.

Stahle, D. W. "The Lost Colony And Jamestown Droughts." Science, vol 280, no. 5363, 1998,

pp. 564-567. American Association For The Advancement Of Science (AAAS),

doi:10.1126/science.280.5363.564.