Another Tale of Two Cities OR Why One English Colony Failed and Why Another Colony Excelled By D. A. Sharpe - Dallas, Texas The two earliest colonies of significance settled by the English in the New World were Jamestown (Virginia) in 1607 and Plymouth (Massachusetts) in 1620. Jamestown floundered into dissipation shortly after 1700, and Plymouth flourishes today. Why? The answer, I believe, is that these two colonies were products on strong forces drawn into confluence in the 1700's ..... forces which had roots tracing back through centuries of European experience. These forces were shaped definitely by what had become the response of human beings to the presence and movement of the hand of God across history and embodied in the movement of the Christian Church. These forces epitomized the differences between the seeking of benefit for self by materially accumulating good results, versus benefit for self by serving God's purposes in our lives. The conclusion of the Holy Roman Empire in the 400's brought on the Middle Ages .... or the Medieval Times. Hordes of Scandinavian tribes plunged into central Europe, forming what become known as the Germanic peoples. In contrast to the Roman Empire, which had a somewhat short-sighted idea of "the Church," these Germanic peoples were barbarians who devastated much of the structure and trade patterns which had previously sustained those parts of the world by the Roman Empire. Their customs were cruel, barbaric and certainly undemocratic. The Christian Church, centered in Rome, was really the only stabilizing structure giving leadership for civilization in those centuries, though it was plagued with abuses and short comings which gave generation to the Protestant Reformation of the 1500's. Spain was a nation with strong Roman Catholic influence. King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain commissioned an Italian sailor in 1492, Christopher Columbus, to represent their nation in the earliest Southern European attempts at finding the Orient and new trade routes. He had solicited them for such privilege, as his requests of other European monarchs for help in showing that the earth was round had not developed. Remember, church leaders of that day considered the round earth idea one of heresy against God's word! The Spaniards, at least on the surface, had Christian missionary interests in their efforts, besides the obvious material goals. Northern European explorations had already been made circa 1000 A.D., but those Viking efforts had few records preserved, and they did not sustain connections with the New World. The Spaniards actually sent hordes of "missionaries" to the New World over the next few hundred years. The Christian aspect of Christopher is largely ignored by secular historians, and he is popularly discounted, because of the perceived damage to the Americas that Spain and other nations brought to the New World as exploiters. However one quotation from Christopher Columbus's personal diary reveals another perspective. "It was the Lord who put into my mind (I could feel his hand upon me) the fact that it would be possible to sail from here to the Indies. All who heard of my project rejected it with laughter, ridiculing me. There is no question that the inspiration was from the Holy Spirit, because He comforted me with rays of marvelous inspiration from the Holy Scriptures...... "I am a most unworthy sinner, but I have cried out to the Lord for grace and mercy, and they have covered me completely. I have found the sweetest consolation since I made it my whole purpose to enjoy His marvelous presence. For the execution of the journey to the Indies, I did not make use of intelligence, mathematics or maps. It is simply the fulfillment of what Isaiah had prophesied.... "No one should fear to undertake any task in the name of our Saviour, if it is just and if the intention is purely for His holy service. The working out of all things has been assigned to each person by our Lord, but it all happens according to His sovereign will, even though He gives advice. He lacks nothing that it is in the power of men to give Him. Oh, what a gracious Lord, who desires that people should perform for Him those things for which He holds himself responsible! Day and night, moment by moment, everyone should express their most devoted gratitude to Him." The death of Queen Elizabeth in 1603 dashed hopes for Protestant Reform in England at that time, with the rising to power of James I as King. James I, born 1566, reined in England 1603-1625 as the first Stuart king. He believed in the Divine Right of Kings, placing him "above" civil law ... a circumstance putting him in opposition to Parliament's ideas of government. This conflict continued through the rein of his son, Charles I. James politically supported the Anglican Church, sponsored a translation of the Bible in 1611, and persecuted Protestant groups, especially the Puritans. This certainly motivated the increased migration to the New World. Though King James, as a name, has such high esteem among many sections of Christians, the title King James Bible can be thought of as a contradiction. King James' life style bore little resemblance to the standards embodied in the Bible, and his authorization for the work to be done was self serving in meeting his perceived political need to let it be done. The naming of the King James Version of the Bible after him is truly unfortunate. He led a life of debauchery, being known to saturate young women with liquor and watching them collapse and vomit at his feet. It is alleged he was openly homosexual, and once was quoted as justifying it by saying "Jesus Christ did the same and therefore I cannot be blamed ..... Jesus had his John and I have my George.." A Church of England, broken away from Rome, but headed by the likes of James I, was not what many Christians wanted, and there arose two particular groups of them known as Puritans and as Separatists. Puritans sought to "purify" the Church of England, so they were not openly "rebellious" to the Church. On the other hand, the Separatists thought the Church of England beyond reform, and thus advocated a "separate" church. A Separatist congregation was led by the Rev. John Robinson at a village called Scrooby in Nottinghamshire. The congregation was formed in 1602. They met in the manor home of Postmaster William Brewster. They sought only to worship in their own way, they were peaceful and not confrontational to the Church of England authorities. The believers in Scrooby were called Brownists, a derisive term in the minds of Church of England leaders, named after Robert Brown, a graduate of Cambridge University who was a catalyst for Protestant dissent in England in the late 1500's. Robinson was likened to Brown in his views. The Puritans were viewed as less threatening, as they had church buildings and could be found if authorities wished to arrest them. The Separatists or Brownists met in homes and therefore had no church buildings. A Scrooby resident, though not a Brownist congregation member, William Bradford, destined to become the governor of Plymouth Colony, wrote of the Brownist's oppressive situation .... "They were both scoffed and scorned by the profane multitude ... and the poor people were so vexed with apparitors, and pusurants and commissarie counts, as truly their affliction was not small." He also wrote some opposition to the positions taken by the Browists. Bradford was not only a gifted writer, publishing his famous and moving diary, A History of Plymouth Plantation, he would also become one of the heroic pioneers of Western history, laying the cornerstones that made possible the building of the American Republic. However, in Scrooby, he was just another Christian Citizen. Bradford is credited with coining the term of "Pilgrims" to apply to these Christians who fared the Atlantic winter waters to seek freedom of worship and of pursuing life unteathered by the shackles seen in the structures prevailing in England. The group set sail August 5, 1620, from Delfshaven, England on the Speedwell, but that ship's inadequacy forced a return, putting in at nearby Plymouth. They reloaded onto the Mayflower for their effective launch to the New World. On November 22, they sighted land, what we later know as Cape Cod. "They had began their long journey on the dock at Delfshaven to ask God's blessing; they ended it on the sands of Cape Cod, kneeling to thank Him for that blessing." The Mayflower Compact, was written November 22, 1620 [This was November 11, old style calendar] off the Coast of What Was To Become Massachusetts. This is the first written agreement for self-government in America. It was signed on the Mayflower, before landing at what became Plymouth Colony. There were 41 adult males who signed the document. Of the 102 passengers, 37 were members of the "Separatists" who were fleeing religious persecution in Europe. Half the colony failed to survive the first winter, but the remainder lived on and prospered. One of the signers was William Bradford, whom some historians have called the Father of American History. He basically was self educated. Listen to the stirring words of this compact: In the name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord, King James, by the Grace of God, of England, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, e&. Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia; do by these presents, solemnly and mutually in the Presence of God and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid; And by Virtue hereof to enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the General good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In Witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape Cod the eleventh of November, in the Reign of our Sovereign Lord, King James of England, France and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Domini, 1620. There were only 23 family units to survive that cold winter after arriving November 21, 1620 in what is now Provincetown Harbor. It was not until December 26 that they selected Plymouth on Cape Cod to establish their living quarters. However, today it can be estimated that some 25+ million of our country's 260 million population probably are descended from that original group of 102 Englanders. Most of them were members of the Separatists religious movement in England which objected (in Presbyterian type fashion) to the Roman catholic likeness of the Church of England. These Pilgrims had a serious and purposeful dedication to following the ways of God ..... it is even viewed by some writers that the Pilgrims actually believed they were establishing the closest thing to God's Kingdom on earth as may be possible. After such was their thirst for advancement and establishment. "These Pilgrims were a mere handful of Light-bearers, on the edge of a vast and dark continent. But the Light of Jesus Christ was penetrating further into the heart of America. William Bradford would write with remarkable discernment, As one small candle may light a thousand, so the light kindled here has shown unto many, yea in some sort to our whole nation . . . We have noted these things so that you might see their worth and not negligently lose what your fathers have obtained with so much hardship.'" A study of Bradford's writings and other research into the operation of the Plymouth Colony emphasizes that community's commitment to Christian ideals in service and in work ethic. They not only propagated with many children per household, but they propagated their religious and work ethic in ways which resulted in Plymouth's prosperity and vigor. And even though today's Plymouth is mostly a thriving tourist town, it does anchor the culture and the being of the New World by those who would choose to come as God's children and for His honor and Glory. But what about the Protestant spirit of capitalism? Benjamin Hart in his book said that "the Puritan's contribution to America's political institutions (included): written constitutions, separation of powers, regular elections, the secret ballot, the federalist principle, religious toleration and separation of church and state. But there is also a strong connection between the rise of Puritanism and the emergence of capitalism. To appreciate fully that fact, it is worth reflecting briefly on conditions in Europe prior to the economic revolution, which began to take place following the Protestant Reformation. Living standards for most people in medieval Europe were poor. About 90% of the people spent their waking hours working in agriculture, trying to acquire food. Whether or not one could eat on a particular day was a major source in insecurity. Poor weather often meant starvation....... The Protestant Work Ethic created reliable patterns of behavior, important for the development of a market system......Capitalism and Puritanism fed off each other. Both developments placed responsibility on individual initiative; and both involved clean breaks from the paternalistic and static feudal order of England. Both were highly destructive of hierarchy and empowered the individual to determine his own fate. JAMESTOWN: "Virginia was the other major early British attempt to colonize North America. The expedition was generally promoted as an opportunity to share in the work of God. There was a widespread worry in English ruling circles that the natives in the New World risked conversion to the Catholic Church by the Spanish and the French. Thus, a founding principle of the colony was stated in the company charter, which was the .....propagating of the Christian religion to such a people as yet live in darkness and miserable ignorance of the true knowledge and worship of God....'" "The initial Jamestown colony, established in 1607, was a diester, decimated during its first six months by disease, starvation, desertion and internal strife. The governing council could not get along with each other or the settlers. Many suspected that council President Edward Maria Wingfield was a secret papist or an atheist, since he carried no Bible and prohibited preaching." Captain Smith, an early leader in Jamestown, is one of the most colorful characters encountered. His soldering tasks had him fighting against the fearsome Turks in Eastern Europe. After almost being killed in that theater, he was sold into slavery to Crimean Tartars. He escaped by bludgeoning his master to death, and returned through Spain to North Africa where he joined French pirates. Smith actually was less interested in plunder than in knight-erranty, quests for glory, and encounters with enchanting brown skinned women. The Reverend Richard Hunt was the clergy leader in the initial Jamestown settlement. He strove to bring order and strict discipline to the members of the colony. However, contrary to the Plymouth Pilgrims, his constituents did not share his zeal to follow God. His efforts were to little avail. Most of the settlers panned for never-discovered gold, and relied on resources of the native Americans to sustain themselves. Their lack of interest in a "work ethic" caused such laxness in efforts that it was 20 years before the first agricultural crop was harvested with enough food to feed the colony that year. Reverend Hunt died amidst the diseases and hardships .... some 90% of the early people died from such. Without the elevating sermons of Hunt, conditions in Jamestown grew even more desperate ..... death and starvation ran rampant. Jamestown had ups and downs ..... tobacco as a cash crop made some successes, but overall the colony was situated badly. Its low lying position near the water .... close to danger from Atlantic storms,.... its proximity to swamps between it and the main land harbored sources of plagues...... all led to repeated failure. "It was the lack of ideological and theological rigor in Virginia, however, that permitted the perpetuation of the abominable institution of slavery. The "Tobacco Aristocracy" was more attached to their habits and the expediences of plantation farming than the letter of Scripture. It is ironic, in a way, that Virginia was saved economically in the early years by the very weed that would later seduce them away from the golden rule' of their religious creed and the principles of liberty for which they would later fight. They were able to tolerate slavery, because Virginians, unlike New Englanders, generally avoided thinking things through to their logical conclusion. Virginians tended to accept life as it was, rather than remake it into something it should be. This was Virginia's weakness as well as its strength." Jamestown had too many strikes against its location and its commitments. Those who did not die from bad conditions, migrated to more hospitable parts of Virginia ..... most immediately to Williamsburg. Ill luck culminated at Jamestown in the late 1600's. In 1676, during Bacon's Rebellion, the town was burned to the ground. This was a rebellion led by a planter named Nathaniel Bacon against the British Royal governor. Fire again destroyed the settlement in 1698. These disasters caused the people in Virginia to transfer their capital to Williamsburg in 1699. Jamestown cratered into obscurity shortly after that. WHAT IS THE CONCLUSION ABOUT OUR TWO CITIES? Jamestown had no on-going spiritual roots to sustain its drive for survival. Plymouth had abundance in spiritual roots and Christian leadership to sustain itself through many hardships similar to Jamestown's, but Plymouth survived in excellent shape. The cradle of capitalism needed nurture from spirituality in order to flourish. And that, my friends, is another tale of two cities ...... a colony which failed and a colony which excelled to the greater honor and glory of God. In its original status on Word Perfect, this paper is fully footnoted with cited references. However, when converting to ASCI code to load up on the Internet, all formating is lost, including footnoting. If you wish to have the footnote references cited, I can E-Mail to you the Word Perfect version with all of that, if you can receive it ok and if you use Word Perfect, Version 6.1. OR I could mail by Snail Mail a hard copy for you. Thank you for your interest. D. A. Sharpe 3829 McFarlin Boulevard Dallas, Texas 75205-1706 (214) 521-3365 Home Phone (214) 520-0701 Home FAX dasharpe@aol.com Internet Address