In the 1600s, two colonies were established on the east coast of North America. In 1607, a group of merchants, known as the Virginia Company, settled in Jamestown, Virginia, on the Chesapeake Bay (Divine, 72); while Puritan leader John Winthrop stationed himself and his followers at Massachusetts Bay in 1630. (Divine, 90) Although both colonies began relatively the same way, the greater success of one over the other has provoked ongoing debate among many, including the descendants of these early Americans. Some might argue that the Virginia Colony was more successful than the Massachusetts Bay Colony because of the Virginia settlers' motivation and interest in profit (Divine, 76). However, when efforts to obtain revenue proved futile, revenue and survival became the sole interests of the colony. Consequently, Massachusetts proved to be the strongest and most prosperous colony, due to its community development and social advancement, its economic growth, and the positive influence the government had on the colony of Massachusetts. Instead of having scattered villages like that of the Virginia colony, the residents of the Massachusetts Bay Colony organized communities that were small and built close together. These centers were built so that villagers could perform a wide range of tasks such as cultivating the land or fetching wood from the forests (Divine, 94). This system was particularly effective in accomplishing these important tasks and allowing time for other agendas important to the settlers. The layout of the city was not only efficient. Families could live close to each other, which helped create a sense of community among the population. Taverns and meeting places were usually built in town, which gave middle of paper ......ve in Virginia did not mean that immigrants were free from its rule. When departing from England, those departing took an “oath of allegiance and supremacy” (Virginia Ship's List). This meant that the people owed their loyalty to the monarch of England and not to Virginia itself. The Virginia settlers might have been frustrated that their leader was chosen by a single person, a person who had no place in their community. In fact, Berkeley, the governor elected by the English monarch, “imposed high taxes on the people, increased his power at the expense of local officials, and created a monopoly on Indian commerce” (Divine, 85). This abuse of power is perhaps one of the causes of rebellions, notably that of Bacon. This republican government at the head of the colony of Virginia contrasted more and more with the democratic government of the colony of Massachusetts..