It is suppose to answer this question: Although New England and the Chesapeake region were both settle largely by people of English origin, by 1700 the regions had evolved into two distinct societies. Why did this difference in develoment occur?
What do you think? Is it too confusing? Any input welcome.
America in the 1700s was a big melting pot however the Chesapeake and New England regions were made up mainly of people of English origin. Even though the settlers came from the same place their societies evolved in two different directions. The cause of Chesapeake and New England’s road into two distinct societies is due to many economic, social, religious, and geographical reasons.
The Chesapeake and New England settlers came to America for many reasons. The settlers that came to the Chesapeake region were single, land-hungry, wealth-seeking men. It was also populated with land-seeking Protestants as well as a few Catholics fleeing religious persecution. The majority of New England’s settlements were founded by people seeking religious freedom. New England consisted of Separatist Puritans fleeing religious persecution, outcasts that wanted religious freedom, and Puritans.
New England lifestyles were very healthy, traditional, structured and family oriented. A woman married in her twenties, raised about eight children, and went on to become a grandmother. If widowed, they were expected to remarry. Men were expected to become part of a church congregation if they wanted to vote, become part of the clergy or work in the shipbuilding, fishing, or trading industry. Children were educated in primary and secondary schools, and men went to college to be trained in the ministry. Like most English societies at that time, women held less power than men, and government and church were tied together and run by religious officials.
Chesapeake life styles were the opposite of New England life styles. They were very non-traditional, unhealthy, unorganized, and family wasn’t important. There was a shortage of women, which meant few families. Few families and the fact that people were spread thin across the region meant that there were few churches and schools, plus they were expensive, which left people less religious and uneducated. Women often outlived men; therefore they held more power than in New England. The majorities of men were involved in the tobacco industry and owned slaves, until they died in their 20’s. Government was made of a self-elected House of Burgesses.
The New England and Chesapeake regions evolved in different directions for many reasons, including the geography of each region. New England’s land was rocky, shifting their attention less on agriculture and more on other industries. Because there wasn’t any back-breaking farming to be done, slaves were not needed, unlike Chesapeake. Chesapeake’s land was perfect for tobacco cultivation, until the tobacco ruined the land, creating a heard of land hungry men. New England lifestyles were healthier than Chesapeake lifestyles because there wasn’t any swampy dirking water or disease causing mosquitoes. Due to the geography of Chesapeake and New England, development was deeply affected socially and economically.
Religion played a big role in each regions development as well. In New England, families immigrated together because their religion made their whole family unwelcomed in England. Their common religion greatly affected New England’s need for order, government and church ties, and education. However, the majority of the people traveling to Chesapeake were single, unreligious men seeking wealth, creating Chesapeake’s shortage of women, desire for land, lack of religion, order, and education. Religion majorly influenced the development of New England and Chesapeake’s society.
American settlements in the 1700’s, including New England and Chesapeake, were very different. The Majority of the people came from the same English background; however differences in society’s development did occur. These differences in development came from the underlying religious and geographical issues in the areas. These geographic and religious differences greatly affected the lifestyle, society, and economy of each region.
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