September 26, 2013
The New England and the Chesapeake Colonies were two very distinct colonies. The colonist came to the Americas in order to escape religious toleration and economic prosperity. As time passed the colonist were changed by their different surroundings. Although the New England and Chesapeake colonies both had English immigrants, they differentiated due to economic, social, and religious causes. In contrast the colonies were very different societies. There is many differences between the New England and the Chesapeake colonies, for example their different economic sources. The New England people left Europe in hopes to find economic prosperity and a better chance at life. For instance many young families set out to the Americas during the early 1600’s according to document B. In the New England Colonies the main source of profit was through Fishing, ship building, and lumbering. The colonist knew that this economy basis would bring in the most profit because of the infertile soil in the area. In addition the climate was very different in contrast to the Chesapeake colonies were they would make cash crops due to the high humidity. The Chesapeake colonist made profit through cash crops and a plantation economy. We see that many men went to Virginia in hope to get money quick, and they did not plan to stay long due to the lack of women incorporated in document C. The economies of the Chesapeake region where centralized around cash crops like tobacco, rice, and indigo. This was the easiest and most efficient way to make money due to the cheap labor from indentured servants. Indentured servants would later show problems in Bacon’s Rebellion thus making wealthy land owners turn their heads to slaves from Africa through the triangular trade for free labor. The Chesapeake and the New England colonies had ways to make money, but where very different in how they made it due to geographic and social differences. Both the Chesapeake and the New