Debts
Hopeful and Desperate
Financing the Plymouth Colony
by Ruth A. McIntyre
PLIMOTH PLANTATION
The study traces how a small emigrant community secured investment from London merchants and formed a joint-stock arrangement to finance their settlement, then struggled with hardship, mismanagement, and conflicting expectations. Business partnerships frayed as the colony faced shortages and sought revenue through fur trading, encountering operational difficulties and disputes over trading rights. Agents and partners clashed over accounting and alleged conflicts of interest, prompting arbitration and renegotiation of terms. After prolonged negotiation and internal quarrels among the investors, a financial settlement was reached and the colony gradually discharged its obligations. The narrative emphasizes practical financial challenges and the colony's eventual resolution of debts.
Financing the Plymouth Colony
by Ruth A. McIntyre
PLIMOTH PLANTATION