In studying laws in early American settlements it seems logical to look at Jamestown first. Jamestown had its problems from the beginning. One of the main ones was the colonists lack of desire to work. The work schedule of the day was considered easy even by modern day standard

So even though the harsh laws of early times often were often unfair, in the long run they were beneficial. Without such laws this great country of America might still not exist.

Two other early colonies that deserve mention were the Pilgrim colony at Plymouth and the Puritan settlement in Massachusetts Bay. The colonists which resided here were unlike the early settlers of Jamestown in that order was always a primary concern of theirs. They were not off bowling in the streets and wasting away the days as did the Jamestown settlers.

Yet they still had strenuous laws and regulations for everyday life in the colonies. The Puritans of New England had strict laws when it came to the family structure. As described in Puritan Order, "New England Puritans would not even permit single persons to live as bachelors." Furthermore, "All families had to live within a specified distance of

Some common words found in the essay are:
Jamestown Jamestown, Dales Laws, , England Puritans, Massachusetts Bay, Thomas Dale, Puritans England, Plymouth Puritan,
Approximate Word count = 609
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)