DBQ Essay: Chesapeake Colonies Vs. New England

DBQ Essay Chesapeake Colonies vs. New England Colonies The English had no desire to colonize the new world prior to defeating the Spanish Armada. However, once they defeated the Spanish in 1588, thus ending Spanish colonization, the English became the rulers of the Atlantic and a newly found patriotism flourished in England. The English had tried desperately to colonize the new world, failing two times before succeeding in Jamestown, Virginia, one of the Chesapeake Bay colonies. The northern most colonies such as Massachusetts were known as the New England colonies. Although both regions were settled by English people by the 1700s the regions developed into two distinct societies. The New England colonies were settled by families that sought
The Ship’s list of emigrants bound for Virginia in 1635 was comprised of mostly males, indicating that there was no desire to establish permanent homes, due to the fact that there is no way to increase their population significantly (document C). The Virginia Company was issued a charter by King James I for colonists to settle in the New World and gain money for England. In fact, if the colony did not gain riches for England, the Virginia Company would be liquidated to make money and the colonists would be stranded in unfamiliar territory with scarce supplies. This consequently put pressure on the colonists to concentrate on finding riches from the New World. The colonists were so preoccupied with finding gold and other treasures that they were not able to prioritize their basic needs, like food and other supplies. As a result, many colonists were malnourished and many died of starvation. It also contributed to the greed, lazy, and selfish attitudes of the Virginia colonists. Captain John Smith, who took control of the Virginia colony and reformed the colonists’ work ethic, wrote in the History of Virginia that “there was no talk…but dig gold, wash gold, refine gold, load gold…” (Document F). This shows the colonists obsession in finding riches in this highly economically centered society. They asked, not what they would eat tomorrow but how they could get more gold. The fact that their society was solely focused on money further illustrates the greed of the Chesapeake colony. The Chesapeake colonies did not offer the equality and tolerance of the New England colonies. Governor Berkley described in his inability to defend Virginia against a Dutch attack various social and class distinctions (Document G). The different social classes mentioned by Berkley were the freemen, servants, and Negroes. In New England, they often refer to people collectively as “everyone” establishing