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 them to form moral Christian communities, and become the model that all others would look up to. This is reflected in Document A, as John Winthrop preaches, “We must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us…” Winthrop mentions that their community is to be looked up to by all, and thus they must set the example, and if they do not, they will be shamed greatly for their sin. Their desire to create “a city upon a hill” demonstrates their motivation to create a permanent religious settlement, and the basing of their laws around their religious beliefs and morals. As religious practices and freedoms appealed more to families, mainly families settled in the New England colonies. (Doc B) As a result, these families often stuck together, forming communities to worship God together and creating more unified settlements. The emphasis on community and unification, combined with religion, formed the set of governance for the New England colonies. The settlers put little emphasis on individual gain or profit, and instead put forth the prosperity of the community as priority. Thus, the focus of living was to live equally under God. This included regulating wages among members of the community, in that “…all tradesmen and laborers consider the religious end of their callings, which is that receiving such moderate profit as may enable them to serve God and their neighbors with their arts and trade comfortably, they do not enrich themselves suddenly and inordinately (by pressing prices and wages to impoverishing of their neighbors) live in the practice of that crying sin of oppression…”(Doc E) The enrichment of one should not come at the expense of their neighbor, do not impoverish others for the sake of wealth, and instead be modest under God so everyone may live equally. As a result, the New England colonies developed in a strongly unified and religious manner, very different from the Chesapeake colonies. The Chesapeake colonies, consisting of mainly Virginia and Maryland, was settled by mainly single young men, (Doc C) who sought profit and wealth in the New World. Their main focus was to “dig gold, wash gold, refine gold, load gold,” (Doc F)
When the Joint Stock Co landed at Jamestown, they were looking for gold to match the success of the Spanish Empire abroad. Though no gold was found, the development of tobacco as a cash crop and Virginia’s practice of the head right system ensured that wealth and profit would continue to shape the Chesapeake colonies and create a mercantilist based settlement, much unlike the modest and religious-centric New England colonies. In addition to different reasoning for settlement, the lack of family made the creation of unity and community incredibly difficult. Individuals came to the region for individual profit. Due to said lack, as well as that there were too few individuals spread amongst too much land, thus making it very difficult when it came defending themselves against an attack by the Dutch in Virginia. Because the prime motivation was wealth, there was reasonable expectation that “single freemen…or men much in debt…upon any small advantage the enemy may gain upon us [would take the opportunity to defect] to them in hopes of bettering their condition by sharing the plunder of the country with them.”(Doc G) With the lack of community came the lack of trust and loyalty to those around them, creating an entirely different environment from the New England settlers, which largely effected their development as a society. In addition to this, the swampy climate in the Chesapeake colonies made creating families increasingly difficult, as the swamp bred malaria and possibly other disease, which greatly shortened the lifespan of settlers in the area, who possessed no resistance to it. With this lack of family and community, religion was not a main concern, allowing for a certain amount of tolerance among settlers in the region and pushing the gain of wealth even more as the main focus for life in the Chesapeake colonies, causing the evolution of a distinct society with many varying differences to the New England colonies. As a result of the geographical conditions of the colonies, the basis and motivation for settlement, and the social makeup of the New England and Chesapeake colonies, the two regions developed quite differently during the 17th century, and eventually evolved into two distinct societies altogether. The settlers of New England were families, coming over together as means of gaining religious freedom from the Anglican Church, while those who settled in the Chesapeake region were looking for profit gain and overall wealth, containing little sense of unity or community, a drastic difference that would completely change the output of the region in comparison to the close knit society of the New England colonies. These variations and distinctions between the regions caused the development of two entirely different societies, despite being largely settled by those of English origins during the 17th century.