While many people tend to regard the United States as of one mind and one effort from the very beginning, England founded an astonishingly diverse set of colonies on the coast of North America. Three of the most divergent were the colony at Jamestown, founded as a business venture by a joint stock company; the colonies at Plymouth, founded to provide pilgrim families with a new way of life; and Boston, founded as an ex to Europe of what a Christian society could be.

Read through John Smith's account of the founding of Jamestown in 1607, John Winthrop's vision for the Massachusetts Bay colony, and the portions of William Bradford's history of Plymouth that regard the colony's early years. Provide your observations on such subjects as the nature of the colonies, the goals of the colonists, and their successes and failures by comparing these accounts of the colonies' early years. Make sure to address all three, to compare and contrast them, and to provide good historical insights.

prepare a response essay of at least 750 words (approximately 3 pages double-spaced). The essay will be graded based on how well it demonstrates that you have read, understood and carefully considered the content of the articles. Do not simply give a summary of the articles. Instead, show that you have read the articles and that you have thought carefully about their implications. Provide a critical analysis of the articles, the people who wrote them, and the ideas contained within (some emphasis on the biblical reference is needed).