The General History of Virginia and Of Plymouth Plantation are both first-hand accounts of the first two permanent British colonies in North America. The former was written by John Smith, and the latter written by William Bradford. These two accounts share some significant similarities but have even more pronounced differences.
The accounts have several important similarities. The first, and most essential is that they are both records of British colonial expansion in North America. The General History of Virginia, is a history of the settling of Jamestown, Virginia, while Of Plymouth Plantation, is a chronicle of the events that occurred in settling Plymouth Plantation in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Both of these first-hand accounts relate historical events from the perspective of a colonial leader. They both tell the story of British people who recently arrived in the New World. The second is both include narrators who help the colony by taking on a leadership role. In The General History of Virginia, John Smith, whether accurately or inaccurately, portrays himself as an all-to-essential leader who helps save his colony from disaster after disaster with heroic bravery; while in Of Plymouth Plantation William Bradford depicts himself as one of many people who help aid the colony in its time of hardship. The third, and final similarity is they both encounter Native Americans. In The General History of Virginia Native Americans are portrayed as only as semi-helpful often switching between helping and harming the colonists on impulse, especially John Smith; while in Of Plymouth Plantation Native Americans are portrayed as cooperative neighbors of the Pilgrims who aid them in their winter of hardship out of pure kindness of heart. It is most prominent to know that even though these stories have some substantial similarities they have definite differences.
Chief among them the dissimilar tones of the manuscripts.
