1993 Ap U.S. History Dbq Essay

Despite the common English backgrounds, societies in the New England and Chesapeake regions of Colonial America had split off into two incredibly different cultures: A very religiously focused New England and the more economic-oriented Chesapeake. Because these regions were settled for different purposes, the development of these societies led to the distinctions between them. One of the major causes for emigration from England to North America was religious persecution. Religious tolerance in Britain for other Christian sects besides the Anglican church was virtually nonexistent, resulting in many members of other sects to seek religious haven in the colonies. The vast majority of immigrants coming to New England were followers of Puritanism who traveled to North America for strictly religious reasons. As shown by Document B, the first member listed (and therefore most prominent figure) on of one of the ships bound for New England was a minister, underlining the importance aspiring New Englanders placed on their Puritan beliefs. Consequently, the cities created by these pilgrims were built with Puritan customs in mind, establishing towns under strict guidelines conforming to things such as a religious town leader and how much real estate is distributed among the residents (Document D). Desire to achieve the ideal Puritan city stretched out across all of New England, as shown by Boston, Massachusetts who’s mayor John Winthrop wanted it to model the ideal Christian city, a “city upon a hill” that provided other Puritan towns a perfect example of what to be like (Document A). This overarching religious influence defined every aspect of New England society from blatantly patriarchal domestic life to the superstitious paranoia that led to the misguided hunting of witches. New England towns also put an emphasis on education, mostly so people could be able to read the bible. Harvard, in fact, was established to train members of the clergy rather than providing