Sheila Gersbacher
September 22, 2004
The English had settled into the new world but by the 1700's they soon had grown to be two very different societies. New England and Chesapeake both developed differently due to religious, economic, and family/society issues. As a result of these differences, both of these regions evolved with less and less in common.
Religion drew a big line between New England territory (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut) and the Chesapeake (Virginia and Maryland). The majority of New England was protestant. They were very religious, and attended church daily. John Winthrop the governor of Mass. Bay wanted to show the world that Christianity was good. He said "God Almighty in his most holy and wise providence hath so disposed of the condition of mankind, in all times some must be rich, some poor, some high and eminent in power and dignity, other mean and in subjectionâ¦yet we must be knit together in this work as one man" Doc: A.
Large Broadside on the Maryland Toleration Act.
Act of the Warsaw Confederation.
English: Painting of Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron B...Also Rhode Island held religious tolerance, they were very individualistic. While Maryland consisting of mostly Catholics had written the Act of Toleration, it was not all that tolerant. Toleration Act is a law permitting people to believe in any religion they choose. One famous toleration act, which was passed by the colony of Maryland in 1649, gave religious liberty to all Christians. The most famous toleration act was that of 1689, passed by the English Parliament. It granted religious freedom to the Protestants. This law did not apply to Roman Catholics, Jews, and Unitarians. Their religious views therefore caused differences.
Another reason for the distinction between colonies was economics. New England majored in fur trading, fishing, shipbuilding, and farming. Many of them were subsistence farmers meaning they only grew what they needed for their families. The...