Comparing the New England and Chesapeake Regions Essay

The New England and Chesapeake colonists settled in the new world for different reasons like religious freedoms in the North and quick profits in the South.

The differences in the two regions are not only seen in their religion, but can also be found in their economies. The economy of New England was far more inferior to that of the Chesapeake economy. This was because the New England society was family-oriented and primarily owned only small family farms just large enough to feed their families. Their economy was mainly based on small farming and fishing. This shows that New England was not focusing on economic growth and expansion. The Chesapeake Bay, on the other hand, had a vast economy. The population of Chesapeake Bay outnumbered New England's population nearly three to one. Their economy was mainly based on the tobacco and slave trading industries. These businesses contributed greatly to the Chesapeake Bay's economic and colonial expansion. This explains why people who came to the New World looking to make money chose to go to Chesapeake Bay rather than the New England area.

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

As the regions began to expand and develop, their motivations for settlement helped to mold their societies. New England was a place where men sought refuge from religious

Despite the common English backgrounds, societies in the New England and Chesapeake regions of Colonial America had split off into two incredibly different cultures: A very religiously focused New England and the more economic-oriented Chesapeake. Because these regions were settled for different purposes, the development of these societies led to the distinctions between them.

Another major difference between the two colonies was their religious views. The New England colony did not agree with The Church and decided to start their own more pure way of religion in the New World, hence the name Puritans, this was one of the main reasons they embarked on a journey to America (DOC D). The freedom of religion was a promised attribute that England used as part of their propaganda to lure people over to America. The Chesapeake Bay settlers still followed the way of The Church and did not intend to purify themselves in any way. As shown in the documents God was more important to the New England colonists than he was to the Chesapeake Bay colonists. The New England colonists mention how they will incorporate God into their lives in almost every document that they have written. Contrary to that the Chesapeake Bay colonists are not forming their lives around religion they are trying to make a life in the New World for the sole purpose of becoming wealthy and could care less about their religion.

The New England colonies consisted of puritans who wanted to purify the church because the Church in England was corrupt. They wanted a place where they could worship freely and work together to

By the 1700s the two regions, New England and Chesapeake varied greatly in spite of being from the same mother country, England. Physical and cultural differences separated these two regions distinctively. While religion moulded the daily life in New England, Money and tobacco farming dominated the Chesapeake.

The Chesapeake and New England colonies were both settled by predominantly British immigrants. They founded the Chesapeake colonies such as Virginia in 1607 and Maryland in 1634 they founded the New England colonies such as Massachusetts in 1630, Connecticut in 1635, Rhode Island is 1636 and New Hampshire in 1639. Both the New England colonies and the Chesapeake colonies started as similar colonies but developed into different societies. The New England and Chesapeake colonies developed into two different societies due to their differences in economics, social development, and religion.

The first difference between the New England colonies and the Chesapeake colonies was political. The New England colonies had a more democratic government system; while it was not completely democratic or representative it had a basis of democratic principals. Alternatively, the Chesapeake colonies were largely run by aristocratic leaders rather than the people working together for the common good. Document A explains how the New England colonies had more of a democracy by stating “we must be willing to abridge ourselves… for the supply of others necessities,” it also states “we are to be looked at as a city upon a hill.” This is relevant to why New England colonies were more democratic because this comes from John Winthrop who was on his way to America to the New England colonies. This more democratic mindset politically from the New England colonies stems back to the Mayflower Compact that was written when the pilgrims were on their way to America, explaining the first difference in these two colonial regions because there were no democratic government documents created for when people were going to the Chesapeake colonies. The Mayflower Compact stated,

The Chesapeake and New England colonies had many differences when it came to development; however, similarities can still be found. Some of the main similarities between the colonies were the time period in which they developed and their early demographics. Both colonies were founded in the early 1600s and started off with a demographic of mostly young white European males. In contrast, many differences between the New England and Chesapeake colonies can be found in their distinct geographies, economies, religions, and governments. In terms of

New England was a refuge for religious separatists leaving England, while people who immigrated to the Chesapeake region had no religious motives. As a result, New England formed a much more religious society then the Chesapeake region. John Winthrop states that their goal was to form "a city upon a hill", which represented a "pure"

Each region developed distinctly because of the difference in climate and terrain. In New England, there was mostly rocky terrain and cold temperatures. During the frost, the mosquitoes, carriers of fatal diseases like malaria, disappeared. Thus, the number of deaths caused by illnesses was less compared to those in the Chesapeake region. However, due to its infertile land, the colony struggled to find a sustainable cash crop. Because settlers came by ship, New England colonies were primarily on the coast, resulting in their economy being dependent on the ocean and resorting to sending “fish, foodstuffs, timber, and horses” to foreign ports. (Narrative p. 23)

During the late 16th century and into the 17th century, two colonies emerged from England in the New World. The two colonies were called the Chesapeake and New England colonies. Even though the two areas were formed and governed by the English, the colonies had similarities as well as differences. Differences in geography, religion, politics, economic, and nationalities, were responsible for molding the colonies. These differences came from one major factor: the very reason the English settlers came to the New World. 
The Chesapeake colonies were primarily created by companies interested in profiting from the natural resources of the New World such as gold or silver to bring back to England. The New England colonies were primarily created

A community is a group of people who work together towards a common goal and share a common interest. Lack of such a quality can and most likely will cause a struggling town or city to fall into the extremes of poverty and wealth. The New England community was so strong and so supportive in comparison to that of the Chesapeake Bay, that it is no wonder they developed into two distinctly different cultures before the year 1700. The Chesapeake region developed into a land of plantations and money-driven owners, with the elite wealthy, almost no middle class, and those in poverty creating the population. New England, on the other hand, had developed into a religion and family based society comprised of mostly middle class families by 1700.