Virginia's Profound Impact On Colonial Society Compared To Massachusetts Bay

Virginia's Profound Impact on Colonial Society Compared to Massachusetts Bay.

In the colonial era, economic Virginia impacted society and social relations during the colonial era more than Massachusetts Bay because of its agricultural economy that was driven by tobacco cultivation and reliant on slaves, establishing distinct social classes and racial divisions unlike the minimal slave use and social classes in Massachusetts Bay. The “Act Concerning Servants and Slaves (1619)” exemplifies the colonists' reliance on slave and servant labor. Virginia had distinct social classes between wealthy plantation owners, poor settlers, and enslaved people. Nathaniel Bacon made this clear when he wrote a letter to the governor of Virginia. Virginia had
A major crop that they made a lot of money off of was tobacco. To grow all this tobacco, they had to use slaves. Slaves became a big part of their culture and economy since they had to use them to be able to make such big profits from their plantations. Virginia was known for having to rely on tobacco and slaves for their economy because the “Act Concerning Servants and Slaves (1619)” stated that for capturing a runaway slave or servant “the taker-up” would be rewarded up to “two hundred pounds of tobacco” depending on how far away from the “house or quarter where such servant, or slave was kept.” This shows how big of an impact this had on society because the colonists in Virginia had to make official laws regarding slaves and tobacco. Another reason that the Virginia area was known for having such a big reliance on tobacco was because George Alsop (1660) wrote that “Tobacco is the current Coyn of Mary-Land.” Alsop’s statement lets people know how valuable tobacco was in that area; it was how the colonists lived. Many other states had slaves just like Virginia did, so this proves how it had a bigger societal impact than Massachusetts Bay during the colonial era. Virginia had a big impact on social relations as well. While both colonies had conflict with the Native
The act also made interracial relationships punishable by law. It aimed “for further prevention of that abominable mixture” (1619). This led to another big social separation between races because people who were not racist and wanted to be with people of another race were not allowed. Some people may say that Massachusetts Bay had a greater impact on society and social relations during the colonial era. They may say that Massachusetts Bay’s civic government had more lasting effects than Economic Virginia, however, the intense racism in Virginia had greater lasting effects on the country and laid out the foundation for systemic racism in America. In conclusion, Virginia had a bigger impact on society and social relations than Massachusetts Bay during the colonial period because of the distinct social classes that their agricultural economy, which relied on slaves, made and the racist social relations that people had with each other. It had an unmeasurable impact on the future of America because after the revolution “The