The Development of New England and the Chesapeake Region Essay Example
The Development of New England and the Chesapeake Region Essay Example

The Development of New England and the Chesapeake Region Essay Example

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  • Pages: 4 (953 words)
  • Published: October 9, 2017
  • Type: Analysis
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During the late sixteenth century English settlers began moving to the New World in search of a new, prosperous life. There were two main areas in America that the English settled in, New England and the Chesapeake region. These settlers voyaged to America for either religious freedom or to start a new life.

Religion seekers came to the New World to escape the oppression of the Catholic Church. Others came in search of a job, or because of their low social class. The New England and the Chesapeake regions became two distinct regions because of these social, economic, and religious tragedies.Many of the settlers who traveled to the New World were in search of a new life and suffered much social discrimination.

There were thousands of people all looking for valuables to take back to England to e

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scape the downcast life they led in society there. In Bacon’s “Manifesto” sent to Virginia Governor Berkley in 1676, Nathaniel Bacon is quoted as saying, “All people in all places where we have yet been can attest our civil, quiet, peaceable behavior…”(Document H).Most of these pioneers in the New World, that were attempting to escape the calamities of society, lived in the Chesapeake region. As shown in Document A, the list of emigrants traveling to Virginia who were mostly young and single men went to the Chesapeake region. This reflects the strong belief in primogeniture in England during that time.

Most of these men were younger sons of wealthy families who gave their land to the oldest son. Travel to the New World was a necessity in order for them to flee from this poverty and obtain an

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improved social stance.Unlike the Chesapeake region, the New England Bay colony had some people of higher social standing, but traveled there for other reasons. Your social class in England highly dictated which colony you would go to in order to live in the New World.

The economic reasons for traversing to the New World greatly linked with the social reasons. Between the years 1580 and 1650 there was a great population boom in England. This caused many of its citizens to be without a job. There were rumors of gold and silver and untold secrets that were hidden in the New World.

These rumors gave those jobless transients hope of finding riches to make them wealthy. Gold miners, explorers and even doctors searching for a cure for syphilis went to the New World hoping to raise their economic status. Their tenacity to find wealth was so great that it was noted by Captain John Smith, “There was no talk…but dig gold, wash gold, refine gold, load gold…. ”(Document F). All of these settlers, again, arrived at the Chesapeake region. Thus this being the reason why the Chesapeake colony was more of an industrious region than the New England.

The settlers of the Chesapeake were so engrossed in their desire for wealth; they caused it to become a very successful industrial region. Even though this was true for the Chesapeake region, New England did not become this way. Most of its settlers were wealthy families who owned slaves that were coming to the New World for religious reasons (Document B). The Chesapeake colony became an industrial area because of its wealth-seeking settlers. Religious persecution was also one of

the main reasons for traveling to the New World.Those seeking religious freedom mostly developed New England.

This happened when the Church of England separated from Catholicism under Henry VIII. Puritan Separatists wanted to become even more independent and be able to practice religion the way they wanted to. In order to do this they had to travel to the New World. As quoted by the religious leader John Winthrop, “We must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us…”(Document A).

The Separatists had such a strong belief in religion that they thought themselves better than the other colonists. …all tradesmen and laborers consider the religious end of their callings, which is receiving such modest profit as may enable them to serve God and their neighbors with their arts and trades comfortably”(Document E). This reflects how the Puritan Separatists were so harsh on religion that they did not even bother paying their townspeople high wages. They presented them with the statement of how they are doing their work for the greater good of God and their neighbors, not to benefit themselves. Economy, in accordance with their religious beliefs, became based around fishing, shipbuilding and farming.Unlike the boisterous economy of the Chesapeake region.

The Chesapeake region did not have an established religion until the year 1692. It became the Anglican Church, but many citizens did not participate. Religion was not forced upon them like it was in the New England colonies. They focused more on making a profit than going to church.

New England was mainly populated by the Puritan Separatists, which caused it to develop

its strict religious society. New England and the Chesapeake regions had very different cultures and beliefs, even though English settlers developed them both.The Chesapeake region attracted England’s members of downcast society. It also housed those searching for wealth, which caused it to become an industrial establishment, differing greatly from New England.

New England was built upon strong believers of religion. This caused it to become a simple, but serious, colony that was developed for the greater good of God. The New England colony and the Chesapeake region differed greatly in society due to their settlers dreams of an improved life and strong roots in religious freedom.Similar article: “THE DIFFERENCES IN BETWEEN NEW ENGLAND, MIDDLE, AND SOUTHERN COLONIES

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