Upon evaluating the New England colonies versus the Chesapeake bay colonies, it is important to outline their similarities and differences in order to assess why one flourished more successfully than the other and the root of this occurrence. Although Plymouth New England possessed slightly better chances due to its colonization in 1620, as opposed to the Jamestown Chesapeake colony in 1607, they both weathered their fair share of issues due to their location, time of colonization, religion, environmental changes, etc. The assessment of these changes can lead one to the answer of why they developed the way that they did and why they had such lifestyle differences.
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and foremost, it is important to understand that the 13 year time gap in the colonization of Plymouth New England and Jamestown Chesapeake made a significant difference in how the two developed as colonies. It is always harder for the first colonies to settle rather than the middle or last colonies because the latter colonies can learn to adapt more easily to their new surroundings. Their location played a large part in how they developed because the weather and the environment changes how people live.
While the New England colony was facing the harshest winters, the Chesapeake colony was thriving through the mildest winters without much difficulty. However, Chesapeake colony lived in more fear of the native indigenous population as opposed to the New England colony which did not have to focus as much on it. The weather and the location changed everything for the New England colony and the Chesapeake colony, as it decided what they wore, what they grew, their family patterns, labor choices, and etc.
When the New England colony began to develop in its working environment, it recognized its environment with the harsh winters and seaside convenience. It innovatively began to develop its trade in the area of fishing, shipbuilding, farming, and artisanship. Much of the work was derived from the areas of fishing and shipbuilding due to it being very close to the ocean. It thrived this way because of its location. The Puritan religious practice was influenced by the religion that the colonists took from the old world, which is due to the location they came from. The government in New England was much more developed there than in Chesapeake because of the influential people that lived and worked there. It was a tight government with a direct influence from democratic rule. They had large families because of the thriving economy in New England, and therefore also had a longer life expectancy. Children were used for labor because they lived long enough and had the ability to do the work.
In Chesapeake, it was a different situation.
Tobacco was a dominant crop there because the area provided a perfect environment to grow it. It would not have been successful in New England due to the harsh winter cold. Rice also grew well there because of the weather, and plantation with slavery began to pop up everywhere. The economy was rich but did not possess as much class as New England. The religion of that colony reflected what they practices in their old land. They had representative democracy because most of the politics were taking place in New England, the dominating region for political power at the time. They were further from democracy than New England because of their geographical location. The environment provided the colonies with blended families and a lower life expectancy. The slaves were not living long, there were raids by the native people, and disease was more common there than in New England. This led to a high death rate. The slaves were employed in the working population, whereas children were the main source of labor in New
England.
Overall, the differences in the two colonies can be attributed almost completely to topographical location and factors, rather than immigration time or pattern. This statement can be made because the environment and place that they both inhabited caused a ripple effect on the lifestyle they lived. Although they thrived using different avenues of success, stark differences can be seen in their economics, religious practices, labor sources, government, and family patterns, which is due partly from where they came from but mostly from where they colonized.