The Massachusetts Bay Colony And Virginia

During the 1700's, people in the American colonies lived in very distinctive societies. While some colonists led hard lives, others were healthy and prosperous. The two groups who showed these differences were the colonists of the New England and Chesapeake Bay areas. The differentiating characteristics among the Chesapeake and New England colonies developed due to economy, religion, and motives for colonial expansion. The colonists of the New England area possessed a very happy and healthy life. This high way of living was due in part to better farming, a healthier environment, and a high rate of production because of more

The colonies of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut made up the New England colonies. Most of the Europeans in the New England colonies were there to escape the religious persecution they faced in England. They practiced a lot of different things in these colonies compared to the middle and southern and colonies of colonial america.

While Massachusetts Bay was founded mainly for religious reasons, the Chesapeake regions were founded primarily in a wide scramble for wealth; however, both were formed with business motivations in mind. Thus, their similarities and differences affected the colonies’ formation, growth, and flourishing.

Jamestown, Virginia, was founded in 1607 and after 22 years, the Puritans established Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth. These were two British colonies, but they came here with a different ideology and different reasons. Virginia has been used for economic reasons and a place to make a profit, and came very few families came only nobleman. The Massachusetts Bay Colony was more organized, but the Puritans came here for religious reasons. Two colonies, but in different ways what they are purposes and who and what happened in the colonies.

One being their religions, in Jamestown they were Anglican, whereas in Mass. they were Puritan (Stokely). There is also the difference of geographic location. Massachusetts is located in the north where there are harsher weather conditions. Their location provided an excellent harbor and since the terrain did not allow much farming they started lumbering, shipbuilding, fishing, and trade. Virginia, in the south, where there is a much warmer climate, they had a great defensive position and were able to create prosperous plantations (Levy). The settlement in Massachusetts was made up of communities of family units because the colonists of Mass. came with their families (Sonia). Furthermore, the colonists of Jamestown were made up of individuals who understood the value of the crop tobacco, and were only there for the money. Virginia had an economy based on plantations and labor; Massachusetts was comprised of small farmers and merchants (“Instructions for the Virginia

The New England and the Chesapeake colonies differed in numerous ways. These differences included geography, religion, economics, nationalities, and politics, which

Jamestown presented more prospects to colonists than Massachusetts Bay Colony by allowing more than one religion, workers rights, and freedom of speech. Jamestown settlers had a bond from England guarantees the rights of settlers, as they would have had it in England. The Puritans formed the Massachusetts Bay Colony and they established a charter also. Both colonies had their have and have not in them. Massachusetts Bay Colony encourage the church greatly and Jamestown boost working over religion. The starting of a democracy, equality was from Jamestown.

Everyone has an external force that motivates them in some way that allows them to be able to go about their everyday lives and fulfill their ambitions. Within the years of 1580 and 1763 this force took the form of God. Around this same time was when the Chesapeake and New England colonies were in the process of being founded. As a result, these two settlements did nothing without referencing their actions to God. Due to this heavy focus on God as the reason behind every aspect of their lives, chaos began to sprout soon after the settlers began settling and started living their new lives in the colonies.

The people of the New England and Chesapeake colonies, although came from the same people, turned into very different cultures. For example, in New England, Puritanism was favored while in the Chesapeake region Christianity was practiced. Often times, religion would dictate a certain peoples way of life. Although both religions were strict, both had different ideas. Also, there were disagreements that occurred between the people within a colony. Many other ways of life were established in each of these areas independent of each other.

Virginia had many failures and close calls, while Massachusetts had successful first settlements, smart decisions regarding food and planning made this possible. In 1607 colonist landed on the banks of Jamestown Virginia only to be greeted by disease causing mosquitoes. Did not had good leadership until John Smith and John Rolfe, while Massachusetts had John Winthrop who developed the settlement with success. The settlers of Virginia had The Jamestown Nightmare. Many people died looking for gold and not learning how to use the land for survival. The Gentlemen would not work themselves resulting in Settlers dyeing by the dozens. Because the laws of primogeniture, many young gentlemen in the English colonies had to make their own fortune. John Rolfe implemented, “If You Don’t Work…You Don’t Eat.” Massachusetts was started by John Winthrop. The differences in the settlements upbringings were not the only difference, their views on religion helped shape the economy of both settlements. Virginia and Massachusetts both realized that they needed to have a strong economy, but their views on religion versus profit differed and resulted in different systems. Massachusetts was a safe haven for Catholics; Massachusetts learned the best way to survive in the area was by watching and interacting with the natives. John Winthrop stated, “We shall be a city upon a hill.” This was going to be a holy city.

When the English settled into the New World, they were split up into two sections, the Chesapeake region and the New England region. Although the English settled both, the two regions were severely different from each other when they were brought about. The New England and Chesapeake colonies differed in three ways: their reason for venturing over, economy, and population. These major differences were what shaped our nation today and what will continue shaping our nation in the future.

The Chesapeake and New England colonies, although clearly quite different, do boast some similarities. The two colonies were founded in the early 17th century and started off with a demographic that primarily consisted of young white European men. The differences between the colonies are easier to pinpoint. The New England colony, which is located in the North, has long winters and short growing seasons. This is contrary to the Chesapeake colony which is more to the South than the New England colony. The Chesapeake colony was known for its fertile land, long growing season, and large swaths of land that were perfect or farming. These geographical differences directly impacted the economies as these two distinct colonies developed. The New England colonies focused on fishing, shipbuilding, and growing a distinct class of

Jamestown, Virginia was established before the Puritans founded Massachusetts Bay. Even though both were British colonies, the intended reasons of the colonists were different. The Virginia colony was used for economic reasons which only noblemen came to make a profit. In contrast, the Massachusetts Bay colony was for Puritans to seek religious freedom. The purpose of the two colonies was different so that the colonists in each colony created unique organizations and purposes.

In the Chesapeake Bay colonies the English colonist found that tobacco grew very well in the warm environment, but it was a very labor-intensive crop and they did not have the resources to keep the growing need for the crop at bay. “While slaves existed in the English colonies throughout the 1600s, indentured servitude was the method of choice employed by many planters before the 1680s.”(1) The colonies used the indentured servant system and it was their hope that it would help increase their population in the Chesapeake Bay colonies.

Massachusetts Bay was settled by Pilgrims with religious goals in mind.  This was my colony of choice due to the fact that some of the moral views would be more evident in this colony, which would render a much safer place than the other colonies. Surely, it would not be an ideal place as they would later become absorbed by their own religious views and retaliate against those individuals  who did not follow the religion according to their