Compare the early development of New England with the Chesapeake as depicted in Massachusetts and Virginia colonies. How do the governing structures differ and what do they tell us about the early challenges the two colonies faced?…
From their very genesis, the New England and Chesapeake Colonies displayed stark differences and contrasts. The former was founded mostly for religious reasons and the latter for purely economic ones. Though both regions were in relatively close proximity, comparably, they greatly differed religiously, politically, socially, and morally (in so far as their perception/exploitation of Native Americans was concerned). The exploration of these different colonies will prove to be particularly fruitful due to the fact that we can understand how their early influences shaped the modern day east coast.…
The colonial period was an important time period in our history because it shows the origins of our unique culture. Since each of the colonies were founded for different reasons and had various climates, it had a great impact on the way of life in each of the regions. The colonies of Massachusetts and Virginia are prime examples of this because they were completely different in terms of society and economy. Their contrasting climates and geographical regions forced them to develop in different ways.…
When the Quakers first arrived to Pennsylvania, they were able to establish a successful colony through hard work, but their geography was what determined the success. The warm climate and fertile soil made it an excellent place to grow wheat, bread, and other profitable crops to supply more than enough for everyone. The Middle Colonies (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware) did not only have fertile land, but they also had rivers and the sea for hunting fish and establishing ports. The ports made it accessible for the Middle Colonies to easily trade goods with Great Britain and other colonies, enticing foreigners such as the Germans and Scots Irish to settle down.…
In Virginia, there was plenty of land, but not enough labor. Since the colonists were lazy, they used slave labor to farm their crops. This mainly consisted of indentured servants, who were under a contract to work for a specific owner. Their voyage to America would be paid for by the owner, but they would then have to work for that person until their debt was paid off. This often took anywhere from 5 to 7 years. However, many indentured servants died before they could fulfill their contracts because they were stricken by disease. Over time, immunities were developed and contracts were fulfilled more often. At this point, slave imports became regular in Virginia. In contrast, slave labor was not used in Massachusetts. Instead, they relied on their own hard work. Unlike the lazy colonists of Virginia, the colonists of Massachusetts were able to keep up their production just doing everything themselves. Each family member played an important role, even the kids. This led to rapid population growth, as kids were relied on more and more to help support the farm or family. Also, in contrast to Virginians, the people of Massachusetts believed that people should be equal. Therefore, the rich shared their wealth with the poor, lessening the gap between rich and poor. However, in Virginia, wealth was extremely important, and one’s wealth was measured by the number of slaves owned or the size of his…
During the 17th and 18th century, English populace felt that England was over-crowded and oppressive. They longed to mitigate the problems that arose because of the exaggerated population boom and to establish a government that would allot them the freedom they thought they deserved. The English believed that the best way to go about this was to colonize the New World. Subsequently, many colonies began to develop, and of these colonies, Massachusetts and Virginia were the most well-known. The early settlements of the Massachusetts and Virginia were both established by similar groups of people at the same time; however, their contrasting beginnings as a colony, views on religion, and means of economic stability created two different politics and economic systems.…
Virginia and Massachusetts were the first two colonies settled by England in the New World. However, these colonies were very different from each other. Virginia’s economy, based heavily on slaves and other low-class workers, resulted in a very small, rich class having all influence and power. Massachusetts, in contrast, had an economy with a large middle class of “equals,” resulting in a more democratic government than that of Virginia. Overall, the first two English colonies in the Americas had extremely separate ways of creating economic and Economic development usually has a lasting influence on the political structure of any up-and-coming area. This certainly was the case for Virginia and Massachusetts. The Southern economy was based on the production of cash crops, predominantly tobacco, rice, and indigo. Crops were grown on large plantations that, by the mid 1600’s, had begun to use African slaves and lowly whites as the labor source. This meant that a lot of people worked for only a few people. Thus, the plantation owners tended to be wealthy, and they acted like it too. Many landowners hired a person in England to ship them goods that would fit the lifestyle. As a result, the South was cash poor, but the land and products owned had great potential value. The Massachusetts economy could not have been more different. Although the use of slaves and other servants did exist, it was miniscule compared to what was occurring in Virginia. Also, while plantation success depended on one system that could fail at any time, the Northern economy was more stable and diverse. In part because of the landscape, the Massachusetts colony was dependent on anything from shipbuilding, fishing, and whaling to farming, store-owning, and other types of artisan work. This allowed for a flexible economy with a large middle class that likely would survive if one market crashed. Meanwhile, if there had been a drought or drop in demand for tobacco, the whole Southern economy would have…
The New England colonies and the Southern colonies are slightly similar in some aspects, but drastically different in most. For example the new england colonies were strictly puritan and they did not tolerate any other religion but the southern colonies were not dominated by a single religion which gave way to more liberal attitudes and some religious freedom. The economy of New England was powered mostly the manufacturing in factories, whereas the Southern colonies’ economies were more agriculturally based. The social structures were different, because the New England colonies didn’t believe in slavery, so the social ladders were not the same. Religious tolerance was another major difference in these two regions. Overall the New England and Southern colonies are slightly similar, but their differences set them apart from each other.`…
The Middle Colonies were all royal provinces at one time. The local government was controlled by the people and was different than the New England and Southern Colonies. The type of government was known as the county-town, sometimes call the mixed system which came from the proximity of New England and also the Southern Colonies, somewhat from the character of the population as well as from the climate and physiography of the country. That made life of necessity a medium between those of the New England village and the southern plantation. In New York the township had possessed basically all the powers in the local government. The evolution of Pennsylvania went in the other way. William Penn created a private county system, but as the population…
And since their masters placed such a high importance on wealth and making a profit, giving out the bare minimum to their servants would have played well into their bottom line and their pocket books. And then when you think of the 1620’s and the colonies farming, plantations, and crops are what first comes to mind, doctors and the availability of medicine on the other hand, are not. And this could be because there were many miles between each of the plantations, due to the lack of roads and cities around. So they had to endure all this and more with no help to get them through it. And to top it off, after everything they endured, they were subject to their masters wants and needs so they had to push on, and keep on with the…
Many of the settlers who traveled to the New World were in search of a new life and suffered much social discrimination. There were thousands of people all looking for valuables to take back to England to escape the downcast life they led in society there. In Bacon’s “Manifesto” sent to Virginia Governor Berkley in 1676, Nathaniel Bacon is quoted as saying, “All people in all places where we have yet been can attest our civil, quiet, peaceable behavior…”(Document H). Most of these pioneers in the New World, that were attempting to escape the calamities of society, lived in the Chesapeake region. As shown in Document A, the list of emigrants traveling to Virginia who were mostly young and single men went to the Chesapeake region. This reflects the strong belief in primogeniture in England during that time. Most of these men were younger sons of wealthy families who gave their land to the oldest son. Travel to the New World was a necessity in order for them to flee from this poverty and obtain an improved social stance. Unlike the Chesapeake region, the New England Bay colony had some people of higher social standing, but traveled there for other reasons. Your social class in England highly dictated which colony you would go to in order to live in the New World.…
Turkey and Georgia both have semi-presidential systems. A large difference between the two Governments is the amount of power the president holds. In Georgia, the majority of the power resides with the prime minister. The prime minister is the head of government with full executive authority over domestic and foreign affairs. The president is the head of state, but cannot legislate nor propose a state budget. By implementing these stipulations for the president, Georgia has decreased the corruption that is found within this branch. (3) Whereas, in Turkey the president has been directing them to a more authoritarian rule. He is cracking down on peaceful protesters, removing judges and prosecutors that disagree with him, and replacing the government with one that puts religion at the center of the people’s lives. (4) Although the prime minister holds the most power in the government the current president is trying to change that. He has tightened his grip on the judiciary, and implemented more restrictions on the media. He is also trying to pass a constitutional amendment that will give the president more power than the prime minister.…
Although the settlers of the New England and Chesapeake region were both settled by people of English origin, by the 1700s, they had transformed into very different societies. This was because of a number of reasons. Between the settlers, the New Englanders moved for religious purposes, while Chesapeakes moved for want for material wealth.The people of New England also consisted of more families than the predominantly young male population of the Chesapeake. Their governing styles were also different, New England being more about fairness and equity while their southern neighbors were more concerned with gaining material wealth and not about helping the poorer of their communities.…
New England were focused on starting a new colony for people to live and prosper in, while the Chesapeake region was focused on personal wealth. The New England people were concentrated on the community of their settlement. John Winthrop explains how he believes the families of the colonies should be,“ ..we must be knit together in the work as one man,...rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together.” (doc a) This shows that he wanted the men to have a sense of community and be unified. He wanted the men to feel equal in the colonies and be able to rely on their neighbors if he needed help. The Chesapeake region was opposite of New England actions. The men were focused on their own person prosperity. They came to the New World looking for gold and a way to create a new life full of riches. Captain John Smith in 1624 wrote, “There was no talk… but dig gold, wash gold, refine gold, load gold.” (doc f) He proves that the men were only there to find the one element that will make them rich. This also lead to inequalities that were not found in New England. One man in Chesapeake could be incredibly rich and live next to a man who is almost broke, but in New England, all men would have an equal share of land and resources. This is just another reason why the two colonies were…
References: Morgan, Edmund S. American Slavery, American Freedom: The Ordeal of Colonial Virginia. New York: Norton, 1975. Salinger, Sharon V. 'To serve well and faithfully ': Labor and Indentured Servants in Pennsylvania, 1682-1800. New…