Plymouth Colony vs. Virginia Colony

They were distinct English settlements in early 17th‑century North America.

Plymouth Colony

• Founded 1620 in present‑day Massachusetts
• Established by Puritan separatists seeking religious freedom
• Key events: Mayflower Compact (1620), First Thanksgiving (1621)

Virginia Colony

• Founded 1607 at Jamestown, Virginia
• Chartered by the Virginia Company of London for profit
• Key events: Jamestown settlement (1607), House of Burgesses (1619), Bacon's Rebellion (1676)

Plymouth was a religious community; Virginia was a commercial venture.