Chesapeake vs. New England Colony Development Essay Example

years of the colony was the lust for gold.Captain John Smith, one of the first leaders of the Virginia colony, claims “there was no talk but dig gold, wash gold, refine gold…”.

Soon, wealth became associated with the cash crop of tobacco. Plantation economy flourished in the region as did farmers’ ruthless exploitation of Indians and African slaves to make money, reflecting the colonist’s lust for land, money, and power. The Chesapeake Bay’s spread-out area was responsible for creating a society based on tobacco plantations so not many towns formed.As both societies evolved independently of each other, the differences became evident. The more religious New Englanders set up a community concentrated in towns and cities.

However, in Virginia, geography influenced the growth of plantations and not cities. In New England, the Articles of Agreement stressed equality and collectivism, but there was clear social stratification in the Chesapeake. A large financial gap formed between the planter elite and poorer indentured servants. Also, demographics played a role in how the societies differed.Families were essential to society structure in New England, but mostly single men lived in Virginia since there were so few women settlers.

In conclusion, the motives for emigration, religious observance, family structure, and even geography played a role in the different development of the colonies in New England and the Chesapeake. Settlers’ varying mentalities in colonization coupled with the adjustment to living in different regions of America show why the societies developed differently. Bibliography 1993 DBQ. Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service, 1993.