Premium Essay

Differences Between Chesapeake And New England Colonies

Submitted By
Words 1242
Pages 5
The Chesapeake and New England regions were both similar in the fact that they were founded by English settlers looking for a better life. Though the regions’ beginnings were very much alike, they eventually evolved into completely different distinct societies. They had very different demographics, successes, and values. These differences came for a few key reasons. Chesapeake and New England became such distinct societies due to differences in geography, religion, and reasons for coming to America. Geographical differences played a big part in how each society developed. In the Chesapeake area, horrible diseases ravaged the colonies which led to a great percentage of the population dying. In New England, the colder climate prevented these diseases …show more content…
Because people were living longer, New England had a higher white population in 1700 than Maryland and Virginia, despite the fact that only 21,000 colonists arrived in New England compared to the 120,000 that went to the Chesapeake Bay colonies in the seventeenth century (Textbook). Virginia had problems immediately after being colonized. The land was low and the water was brackish, so people couldn’t drink it. On top of this, malarial mosquitoes swarmed the area and spread diseases. From 1618-1624, it’s estimated that 28 percent of the population died each year (Document 8). Most people lived along the James River estuary, and many of these people died of disease each year. Interestingly, nearly half the colony lived in a freshwater/saltwater zone. However, the freshwater/saltwater zone had a

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Differences Between Chesapeake And New England Colonies

...Colonizing America was an important goal of England during the 1580s. Failing dramatically with their first attempts and being involved in a war with Spain, England had to put a damper on their efforts of colonization. After the war ended, England refocused their efforts. The first two successful colonies founded by England in the new world was the Chesapeake and New England Colonies. Without the help of Indians both colonies would have not survived, while the Chesapeake colonist should not have survived anyway. Settlement experiences in America were vastly different between the Chesapeake and New England Colonies. The Virginia Company in 1607 sent a group of men to build the first permanent English colony in America named Jamestown. They...

Words: 695 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Differences Between New England And Chesapeake Colonies

...The east coast of North America, regions of New England and Chesapeake, was settled by Englishmen of the same ethnicity, but by 1700 they had developed into two distinct societies. The two regions differed in various criteria, such as politics, geography, and economy, to name a few. The reasons for the founding of the two regions of the colonies vastly differed. The London Company of Virginia had been formed to settle a colony of Englishmen in the Virginia area in 1607, its sole purpose being to profit the English economy. As mentioned by Captain John Smith’s history of Virginia, the first colonists spent their time digging for valuable metals, like gold and silver, instead of farming and harvesting, which would have provided...

Words: 393 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Differences Between New England And Chesapeake Colonies

...The Chesapeake colony was an agricultural, cash-crop based economy, whereas New England was a diverse economy, established by many “hands-on” and labor induced trades. In the Chesapeake colony tobacco was introduced to the region by John Rolfe in 1612, it would soon be the colonies central profit-making business. In “1620 a total of 119.0 thousand was marketed, bringing in 12.00 sterling per pound (Tobacco imported by England from Virginia and Maryland in thousands of pounds and Maryland Tobacco prices.)” This differed from New England because the Chesapeake had rich riverbanks with fertile soil to grow tobacco. The environment of the Chesapeake worked in the colonies favor because it did not require a specific skill set to be grown or harvested;...

Words: 255 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Chesapeake Colonies Dbq

...The Societal Differences Between the Chesapeake and New England Colonies After the voyages of Columbus in 1492, the western world began to establish colonies in North and South America primarily for economic, political, and religious gain. This transitioned to three major powers dominating North America, the Spanish, the French, and the English. This threshold on power was solidified by the English after the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588. Due the English’s new found power and confidence, many more English colonies started to develop such as the New England and Chesapeake colonies. The two regional colonies, were vastly different economically, socially, and politically even though they had the same county of origin. Their sharp contrasts...

Words: 1386 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Chesapeake and New England Colonies Comparison

...Chesapeake and New England colonies Comparison During the early 16th century and into the early 17th century, European colonies rapidly colonized the newly found Americas. England in particular sent large groups to the east coast of North America to two separate regions, which would later become known as the Chesapeake and New England areas. The Chesapeake region included Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and the New Jerseys. The New England region of the colonies included Rhode Island, Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay Colony, New Haven, and Connecticut. Eventually in the late 1700’s these two regions would come together to form one nation. Both regions were very different and did not share many common ideas. They were different in their views and beliefs on religion, economy, and motives for colonial expansion. In 1609 a group of settlers, led by Captain John Smith, founded Jamestown which became the first colony to thrive and prosper in the New World. The main goal of these Chesapeake settlers was to make money by finding gold, silver, or anything else that they could take back to England and make a profit on. Another goal of theirs was to find a northwest passage to Asia. The New Englanders were mostly puritans who first settled in Plymouth and were driven to the New World in hopes of religious freedom. New Englanders wanted to escape religious persecution rather than make money and grow a rich economy. The living situations between the two colonies were extremely different...

Words: 713 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

New England vs. Chesapeake Colonies

...introduction The Chesapeake and New England Colonies: A Comparison Beginning in the 1600s, England colonized the newly discovered Americas. numerous groups came settled in two regions, the Chesapeake and New England. From the beginning, both had very separate motivation and unique identities. These motivations affected the colonies in every way, including economically, socially, and politically. The Chesapeake and New England attracted different types of settlers and, by 1700, the populations differed enormously. Clearly the Chesapeake and the New England regions did differ in numerous ways. These differences included population, religion, and economy. But also the differences were on a wide-scale range involving almost every aspect of the society, they all sprouted from one initial difference between the two: the very reason the colonists came. Life in colonial America was difficult for all, but more so for some than others. While some colonists struggled to scrape by, some managed to live well and be happy. It is very apparent that health, family, and growth helped New England to be more prosperous and a more enjoyable place to live than in its southern neighbor, Chesapeake Bay. History has proven that these factors have a major effect on the quality of life for people, and this instance is no exception. New England New England was north of the Chesapeake, and included Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Haven. In Puritan New England, a...

Words: 2131 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Chesapeake Colonies Dbq Analysis

...The settlements of New England and Chesapeake, though both settled by the English, differ greatly from one another. One of the main differences between the two regions was the reason they were settled, their different beliefs in religion and politics, and their different environments were also factors that affected the way they were developed. While New England was mostly founded for an escape from religious persecution, the settlement of the Chesapeake colonies was part of a plan to find gold and make more money for England. The immigrants sent to New England were mostly family and their servant, shown in the Ship’s List of Emigrants by John Porter, the Deputy Clerk. (document b) The fact that group of women and children were sent to the colonies and not only men showed that they wanted to settle in America for good, not just for a few years to make money. The immigrants sent to the Chesapeake colonies however, mostly consisted of men with very few women. This, recorded in the Ship’s list of immigrants, showed that the men were sent for working purposed opposed to settling down and starting a...

Words: 493 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Comparison of the Chesapeake and the New England Colonies

...Although the majority of the North American East Coast was settled primarily by English during the 17th century, the way of life and development politically, economically, and socially greatly differed, depending on where one had settled. The New England and Chesapeake colonies, both primarily comprised of English settlers, contrasted in that of their motivation for settlement, as well their style of governance, allowing for the creation and development of two distinct societies. The New England colonies, mainly composed of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Connecticut, consisted of groups that had essentially settled for religious reasons, mainly the Puritans, and Pilgrims. In the Chesapeake colonies, composed of Virginia and Maryland, reasons for settlement mainly alluded to economic advancements and prosperity. The main dividing factors that caused the difference and distinction between the two societies were not limited to the reason for settlement, but in fact were also heavily by the social makeup of the settlers, which varied based on the motivation of the settlements as well. The New England colonies settlement was fundamentally based on religion. The settlers, possessing strong ties to religion, had left England behind due to conflicting views with the Anglican Church. Puritans led their lives based on strong beliefs, such as predestination, believing God already determined belief that one being saved. As they settled, they believed that God had expected...

Words: 1058 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Chesapeake Colonies In The 1700s

...Although the Chesapeake and New England colonies were established by people of the English origin, by the 1700’s they had become vastly different, socially, politically and economically. The Chesapeake colonies interests revolve around earning profit and tobacco cultivation, unlike the New England colonies who are focused on religion, mainly the Puritan religion. Socially, the Chesapeake colonies consisted of mostly or almost all men, who were pretty young. In a Ship’s List of Emigrants Bound for Virginia, the reader can infer that the men on the ship to Virginia are indentured servants because it reads,” … per examination by the minister of Gravesend touching their conformity to the Church discipline of England, and have taken the oaths of allegiance and supremacy.” In the Chesapeake...

Words: 814 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Chesapeake Colonies Vs New England Essay

...Venture back to the 1700’s, in modern day territories that spanned from Massachusetts, all the way to Maryland, and you will find the early settlers from England that heavily occupied these areas. What is interesting, however, is that these settlers- voyagers from the same land- evolved into two completely different societies. Everything from religion, social class, and political philosophies were different- all possibly rooted in their allegiance to the Crown back home. To the North, or New England Colonies, the settlers occupied Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth, Rhode Island, New Haven, and Connecticut. And to the South, or Chesapeake Region, the settlers occupied Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey. Now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty; the “how and why” these two regions were so different. First thing is first. Chesapeake settlers had a majority allegiance to England’s values. These people, by and large, represented the English establishment back home. So, what does this mean? Well, that...

Words: 891 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Chesapeake Colonies Conflicts

...British colonies in the Chesapeake region and New England both had conflicts with the Native Americans due to cultural misunderstanding and the desire for land. The colonists brutally slaughtered the Indians because they control the land that the English colonists wanted for plantations and other resources. In the Chesapeake region, clashes occurred between the Virginia settlers and Powhatan tribe and resulted in the first and second Anglo-Powhatan wars. The colonists exterminated the Indians and burned their villages, banishing the Powhatan tribe from the Chesapeake Bay region to inferior lands. Similarity, in New England, the Pequot War and King Philip's war was fought between the Puritans and the Pequot tribe to resist English settlement on Indian land. In the Mystics Massacre during the Pequot War, the English set an Indian village on fire and shot the escaping survivors; a total of three hundred women and...

Words: 498 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Us 1993 Dbq

...Essay In the 1600s there was still much to uncover in the New World. People from all over set out to discover what they could, and settle in this unknown territory. The English colonists came to the New World and settled in the New England and Chesapeake regions. The New England colonies developed differently than the Chesapeake colonies due to their differing motivations for settlement, social systems, and economic emphasis. In the early 17th Century the Puritans settled in New England, forming the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The Massachusetts settlers were first and foremost interested in religion. They had come to America to separate themselves from the English Anglican Church and to be able to practice their beliefs freely. As shown by Document B, the first member listed - and therefore the most prominent figure - on one of the ships bound for New England was a minister, underlying the importance the Puritans placed on religion. Accordingly, Document A shows how John Winthrop, Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony, desired to achieve the ideal Puritan city, a “city upon a hill,” that provided other Puritan towns a perfect example of what to be like. The settlers wanted to create a permanent religious settlement with a strong sense of a Puritan community in which everyone helped out and was kind to one another. Their shared interest in religion enabled them to get along well with each other and keep their colony organized, with documents such as the Articles of Agreement...

Words: 991 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Chesapeake Colonies Vs New England

...The name “New England” leads one to assume that the New England Colonies resembled England, while in reality the two places were very different. This name is a geographic and conceptual misnomer as it differed from England in nearly every aspect, examples of colonies that resemble a “New” England would be the ones located in the Chesapeake area. New England had a society that differed from England largely due to the motives of the settles. Each of the settlers wanted to leave England permanently to start a new life. An example is the Puritans who moved to America to preserve their way of life rather than adhere to England’s. This led them to form a society different from that of their home countries. However, the Chesapeake colonies such as...

Words: 2116 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

The New World

...THE NEW WORLD In 1609 King James I commissioned the Virginia Company with colonizing North America between the 35th and 45th parallels. The Chesapeake and New England colonies would emerge as the cornerstones of America. The two colonies navigated the world in sight of different objectives, but ultimately through their economic triumphs and the social and political hardships, these colonies would eventually develop into stability. In an effort to financially benefit Europe, the Chesapeake colony settler’s main objectives were to find gold, silver, a cure for syphilis and a passageway to Asia. The New England colony differed from that of the Chesapeake colony as their main purpose as separatists were to pursue the freedom to worship. After spending nearly a decade in the Netherlands, although fulfilling religious goals, they realized that their children were becoming more Dutch than English. They sold all the land they owned in Europe to finance their voyage for free worship. Nonetheless, both colonies journey was funded by the London Company to make their initial voyage.  Even though the mission was different for both colonies they both shared a detrimental first winter. Both colonies also relied on native Indian support for supplies and food to ensure survival.  Farming was absolutely essential for both colonies to master, and quickly. Religion was found in both colonies and played a serious role in society. In Jamestown you would find Protestants and Catholics, while...

Words: 1092 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

How Did The New England Colonies Develop

...The New England Colonies described in one word would be successful. Their population was stable and growing. The women married young and had a child, on average, of every two years creating a stable growth in population. The couples were generally very happy and lived long lives, long enough to get to help take care of their grandchildren. Since divorces were basically unheard of women were given very few rights as individuals. Women were not allowed to hold claim to land of their own because this would cause tension between man and wife. Furthermore women often times gave up any land they had and stayed at home to cook, clean, and look after the children. Furthermore, the swampy biome of the Chesapeake was perfect for growing tobacco and spreading deadly diseases. Disease spread like wildfire through the Chesapeake region primarily killing the men that worked in the tobacco fields widowing many women. Women were widowed within seven years of being married. This stunted population growth and decreased the average life expectancy to under fifty significantly younger than anywhere else. This also gave women more independence. Widowed women were...

Words: 681 - Pages: 3