Virginia And Massachusetts Advantages And Disadvantages

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Essay #2 – Topic Three Both Virginia and Massachusetts had pros and cons, but if I were to choose where I would live, I would choose Virginia, because of the lenient life style and acceptance of different views. English settlers came from their homes for different reasons and each with different goals to pursue. Both had very distinct economies and social structures that relied heavily on labor. Although unlike Massachusetts, Virginia had more interesting encounters with natives. Settlers first reached Virginia in 1606 to compete with the Spanish for gold and natural resources, but also find a passage to the Indies. They first started as a joint-stock company. The first years of establishment were harsh because of disease and food going rotting, leading to starvation. When John Smith took charge in 1608, he had the colony stop endlessly searching for gold. Despite Smith’s efforts, only sixty colonists out of the four hundred survived the “Starving time” winter. It was not until shortly after when the Englishmen decided to set up an offensive small military. As a result of this small settlement in Virginia, the settlers’ persistence would pay off when they would discover how easily the cash crop tobacco grows. In contrast, settlers would come to Massachusetts only to escape the “oppression” they felt. They disagreed with the Church of England in allowing Catholics and “hop[ing] to return the Catholic Church of England to the pope and to restore Catholic doctrines and

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