Chesapeake vs. New England Regions.

Although the New England and Chesapeake regions were both settled largely by people of English origin, by 1700 the two had evolved into two distinct societies. It would be impossible to explain each of the hundreds of reasons for this change in development but, there were many important factors whose effects can be seen. Some of these factors were religious motives, economic motives, environment (for crops) , and social life. These factors are of importance because it distinguishes the characteristics of one colony from the other.

The New England region of the colonies included Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. New England was a safety blanket for religious separatists leaving England, and they were called the Puritans. The Puritans wanted two things: 1) the local government to be controlled by the same people who controlled the church and 2) that the Bible would be the basis for all laws and regulations.

English: source: Immigrant Servants Database autho...

English: Massachusetts_Bay_Colony_1930_Issue-2c.jp...

[New England Airways Royal Mail, Australia, ca. 19...

Immigrants going to New England formed very religious and family oriented communities. Many immigrants who came to New England came in large families that supported the community. They supported the community by placing great importance on literacy, so every citizen could read the Bible. The only thing that troubled the New England region was questioning the authority of the church. People like Ann Hutchinson and Roger Williams were persecuted this reason. The New England region was NOT formed for economical reasons. So, New England settlers reproduced much of England's economy with only minor variations. However, they did not invest in large-scale farming because their climate and soil were unbearable. Their economy was based on small farming, home industry, fishing, trade, and shipbuilding industry. In a child's social life the parent would generally pick when and whom they would marry.

The Chesapeake region of the colonies included...