Although New England and the Chesapeake Regions Were Both Settled Largely by People of English Origin, by 1700 the Regions Had Evolved Into Two Distinct Societies. Analyze the Ways in Which This Development Occurred

The settling of North America occurred for many different reasons among many different countries. Settlers from the same country often went to places with some proximity to each other. The Chesapeake businessmen and the New England Puritans both hailed from England. However, their reasons for settling differed significantly. Puritans seeking religious freedom settled the cool-climated and rocky-soiled New England region, whereas entrepreneurs settled the warm, fertile Chesapeake Region. The different reasons for settling and varied climates within the settled territories led to the development of dramatically different societies in New England and the Chesapeake region by 1700. Equality-oriented and deeply religious Puritans settled the rocky, unfertile New England region. The first settlement within New England was Plymouth in 1620, and its original inhabitants were English Puritans who sought refuge from the King of England. From the beginning, the Puritan settlers in Plymouth observed that the land proved inhospitable to farming. This led the settlers to find other ways of making money, such as trade, fishing, and lumber. The lack of dependence on the land for extra revenue allowed for multiple occupations such as smith work and fishing to develop, and thus a varied economy. Also, multiple trades and lack of massive plantations allowed former indentured servants to find work. Puritan beliefs regarding equality and charity ensured that massive class differences would not become a major issue. Most Puritans resided in family units, which made the population rise quickly and settled territory expand. In contrast, entrepreneurs settled the fertile Chesapeake. The first city in that region, Jamestown, was originally settled by single men seeking gold. Gold mining soon showed itself to be an exercise in futility, but the fertile land capable of producing massive amounts of cash crops became a gold mine in itself. Most of the immigrants to the Chesapeake were