preview

Although New England and the Chesapeake Region Were Both Settled Largely by People of English Origin, by 1700 the Regions Had Evolved Into Two Distinct Societies. Why Did This Difference in Development Occur?

Decent Essays

Around the 1600’s, New England started to develop a drastic population growth. This growth caused several problems for the occupants including, high prices on food, land, and a shortage of work for many because of the aggressive competition. Immigrants from New England began to prepare for a voyage that would be beneficial for some travelling to Massachusetts and not so much those who were travelling to Virginia. Although the settlers from the Chesapeake Bay and New England came from the same country, these colonies established different societies because of varying elements such as religious freedoms, economy, government’s role in society and unity. The immigrants from New England were mostly Puritans who believed in a society where …show more content…

To make a profit, they created a system where if a migrant covered their own cost to America, they would gain 50acres of land (which they had to pay a rent for) and if they brought a servant with them, they’d receive extra. One of the major differences between both societies was unity. The Puritans came with the knowledge of working together and becoming closer to God. When they travelled they travelled together not separately like the inhabitants of Virginia. Document G vividly illustrates the mistrust between the colonists as it states,” ….Virginia is intersected by so many vast rivers as makes more miles to defend than we have men of trust to defend them. John Winthrop’s, “A city upon a hill” characterizes the puritans as caring human beings who stuck together through hardships. Bacon’s Manifesto was best way to describe how disunited the pilgrims acted. In Nathanial Bacon’s speech, Document H, he declares, “All people in all places where we have yet been can attest our civil, quiet, peaceable behavior far different from that of rebellion.” Bacon and his supporters later could bear no more and burned Jamestown into ashes. This is a result of the disunity and lack of respect these pilgrims had for each other. The difference in development between New England and the Chesapeake Bay region was a matter of several issues ranging from freedom of religion, economy, the system of governing and most importantly, unity. What made these two societies differ was the effort

Get Access