Jessica Helin
Paper 1
U.S. History 1
GEN223

John Smith vs. John Winthrop

In the early years of America, there was a great deal of political and religious turmoil occurring in England. People wanted to escape to a place where they wouldn't be outlawed for their independent congregations and personal philosophies that they believed in. Eminent men, like John Smith and John Winthrop, saw America as a great opportunity to start over where they could establish new communities separated and undisturbed by England. They each wrote a proposal to the people of England to recruit them to come and help establish colonies in the New World. Both of these men had very different visions of what America was and what they wanted it to become upon their arrivals. Smith believed in the importance of hardworking to achieve wealth and the option of becoming financially independent. While Winthrop was concerned with working for God and averting selfishness to form a community with a close bond. John Smith was an English adventurer and soldier well known for his many adventures to different lands. Smith saw the New World as a place for people to set out on a journey for economic success. In his mind, America had resources that were waiting to be discovered for both utilization and profit. In a Description of Virginia, Smith communicates that in the New World, there is a definitive likelihood for many successful business enterprises by saying, 'the fertility of the soil, and the situation of the river are so propitious to the nature and the use of man as no place is more convenient for pleasure, profit, and man's sustenance.' In addition, he speaks of the possibilities of producing commodities for export, 'The Bay and rivers have much marketable fish and places fit for salt works, building of ships, making of iron, etc.' In his proposal, he alludes to other countries fortunes and how they profited taking from the land by saying, 'Muscovia and Polonia yearly receive many thousands for pitch, tar soap, etc. France, in like manner, for wine, silks, and velvets, consumes our chief commodities. Holland maintains itself by fishing and trading at our own doors.' He goes on to say, 'Then how much has Virginia the prerogative of all those flourishing kingdoms for the benefit of our lands, when within one hundred miles all those are to be had, either ready provided by nature or else to be prepared, were there but industrious men to labor.' By saying this, Smith makes his readers want to come to America so they too can be associated among the 'industrious' settlers while emphasizing that wealth can be achieved much like Holland, France and other countries by doing the same things they did. He gives potential settlers the idea that they can prosper in Virginia even though they might not have been wealthy while living in England, 'here is a place a nurse for soldiers, a practice for mariners, a trade for merchants, a reward for the good, and that which is most of all, a business.' Though Smiths proposal was created mostly to attract possible settlers to Virginia, he moreover had his own personal reasons for writing it. He was a member of an English joint stock corporation chartered by James I called The Virginia Company. It was a private company organized to seek profit. In the New World, Smith advocated the Company's interests while providing the necessary leadership needed to help the colonists surpass the difficult early years of their settlement. After Smith explains the potential for wealth within Virginia, he then goes on about the natural inhabitants, Native Americans. He starts off by saying, 'The land is not populous, for the men be few, their far greater number is of women and children. Within 60 miles of Jamestown there are about some 5,000 people, but of able men fit for their wars scarce 1,500. To nourish so many together they have yet no means, because they make so small a benefit of their land, be it never so fertile.' Here, Smith is explaining how sparse the Native American community is, while also saying that there are more women than men. Additionally, he adds that their land is bountiful alluding his readers that it's vital for them take over their land because they will have greater use for it. He goes on to say, 'Six or seven hundred have been the most that have been seen together when they gathered themselves to have surprised Captain Smyth at Pamaunke, having but 15 to withstand the worst of their fury.' By mentioning this, Smith is assuring his readers that they are much stronger than the Native Americans, as it only took 15 settlers to fight off the upward hundreds of them. He tries to make it clear that these people are inferior as well as incapable of the same standards of civilization as white men. Smith adds more to his claim when describes them as, 'inconstant in everything, but what fear constraints them to keep. Crafty, timorous, quick of apprehension and very ingenious. Some are of disposition fearful, some bold, most cautious, all savage.' He goes on to talk, in great depth, about their apparel and how the 'better sort' cover themselves in animal skin, while the rest of the majority cover themselves with grass and leaves. Most of them would additionally adorn themselves with other things, such as beads, copper, feathers, rat tails, snakes, paintings, etc. To the Indians, these were among things that they coveted. But to Smith, he just saw them as trash. Used to the way the colonists dressed, Smith thought the Indians looked barbaric in comparison. John Winthrop had a very different vision of America than Smith. While Smith saw the New World as place to start over economically, Winthrop saw it more as a paradise for religious freedom stating that, 'it will be a service to the church of great consequence to carry the gospel into those parts of the world.' Being a Puritan, he believed that the Church of England was corrupt and needed to be purified in order to become more pleasing to God. He goes on to say, 'All other churches of Europe are brought to desolation, and our sins, for which the Lord begins already to frown upon us, do threaten us fearfully.' Winthrop saw this endeavor as a way for people to get back in the goodness of Gods graces as well as create a fresh start where they could establish a community joined together by religion. The society he would form in Massachusetts would only comprise people who shared his belief that people could live, work and support each other spiritually. Puritans believed that if a nation exemplified Gods ways, he would provide whomever with protection, prosperity, and the serenity of living as his people. If a community dismissed Gods testaments, he would eventually, in turn, reject them. This was something the Puritans feared greatly and they knew the materialism, corruption of government, and immortality happening in England were all sins in Gods eyes. Furthermore, he says, 'thus it has come to pass that servants and neighbors (especially if the(y) be poor) are counted the greatest burthen, which if things were right it would be the chiefest earthly blessing.' He explains that generally, society shows a lack of concern for the poor or their neighbors and among the other sins, they were all collectively things people needed to repent, and otherwise they would endure Gods fury. Winthrop knew an essential key in sustaining a strong community was the idea of helping one another and to resist selfishness. He writes, 'the end is double moral and natural: that man might enjoy the fruits of the earth, and God might have his due glory from the creature.' Winthrop envisioned the true believers home to be heaven, not earth, and that things like pleasures, love and wealth were something people needed to be cautious of so not to get their hearts involved, 'it appears to be a work of God for f his church, in that he hath disposed the hearts of so many.' Winthrop knew that starting over in an unfamiliar place would free people from distractions so they'd be focused and ready to worship God the way they felt was right. He also encouraged almost anyone to join them, 'If any such who are known to be godly, and live in wealth and prosperity here, of a hard and mean condition, it will be an example...to give more life to the faith of God's people in their prayers for plantation, and to encourage others to join the more willingly in it.' Due to the decline of other colonies before theirs, Winthrop created a series of objections to answer any concerns potential settlers may have. He assured settlers that their plantations failed because they were led by misgoverned persons and that they didn't create a right form of government. One of the most important objections being, 'We have no warrant to enter upon that land which hath been so long possessed by others.' Winthrop answers this by saying, 'That which lies common and hath never been replenished or subdued is free to any that will possess and improve it, for God hath given to the sons of men a double right to the earth: there is a natural right and a civil right.' The natural right was that 'men held the earth in common' and the civil right was gained by increasing men and cattle in a confined area. Winthrop begins explaining that the natives have neither cattle nor settled habitation; therefore they only have a natural right to the land. Contrary to Smith, Winthrop believed in sharing the land with the Native Americans, leaving them a sufficient amount to utilize, while they could lawfully take the rest. Another objection to note is, 'It will be a great wrong to our church to take away the good people, and we shall lay it the the more open to the judgment feared.' To answer this, he briefly says the church is universal 'without distinction of countries' and that gods will and purpose should be communicated to all nations, including the native tribe. He acknowledges the objection that life in the new world will be hard and that 'our breeding here at home have made us unfit for the hardship we are like to endure.' Alas, he reminds people that it will always be a struggle for the first inhabitants but 'things as we stand in need of are usually supplied by God's blessings upon the wisdom and industry of man, and whatsoever we stand in need of its treasured in the earth by the Creator and is to be fetched thence by the sweat of our brows.' Both of these historical men sought out America for their salvation, but for very different reasons. They wrote proposals explaining what the New World had to offer people and why they should leave England and help establish colonies in America. Smith wanted to attract potential settlers that had the same desire for wealth as he did, whether that it be discovering resources or conquering new territories. He was determined to make The Virginia Company prosperous. While, Winthrop wanted to set out on a religious journey with other like-minded people (Puritans) so that they were free to worship as they pleased. They both thought that by starting a new life, they could be successful in their beliefs and wrote proposals that were promising to prospective settlers in hopes of starting their ideal society.

Works Cited

Blanton, Dennis B., Veronica Deitrick, and Kara Bartels (2001) Brief and True Report of Projectile Points from Jamestown Rediscovery as of December 1998 The Journal of the Jamestown Rediscovery Center 1 (http://www.preservationvirginia.org/rediscovery/page.php?page_id=234).

Captain John Smith of Willoughby by Alford, Lincolnshire: President of Virginia, and Admiral of New England. Works: 1608-1631. Ed. By Edward Arber, The English Scholar’s Library, No. 16. (Birmingham, 1884), Pp. 63-67.

Massachusetts Historical Society Proceedings, vol. 8 (1864-65). Pp. 420-427.

Harshman, Ben. Class Lecture. GEN223 United States History I. The Illinois Institute of Art, Chicago, IL. 16 Jan 2013.