New England Vs. Chesapeake Regions

When referring to early colonization, while the New England and Chesapeake regions were both settled largely by those of English origin, the two swiftly evolved into distinct societies by 1700. Based on the foundation differences, main geography, and the political and ethical styles of each colonial area, they distinguished themselves through key characteristics.

One contributing factor to the difference in development lies in the very founding of each region. The Chesapeake colonies were founded upon the blinding gilded dream that seemed so promising. As expressed by Captain John Smith in Document F, early life after arriving in the settlement was centered around gold: "There was no talk...but dig gold, wash gold, refine gold, load gold..." Based on the London Company of Virginia, a joint-stock company, the first colonists focused solely on economic gain. This caused a stifled attempt at any other form of inhabiting the land until the search for gold slowed after the disappointing realization of limited discovery.

In contrast, the New England colonies were established for religious and freedom purposes. While the Chesapeake's economic views remained narrow, John Winthrop introduced the idea that the new nation being formed ought to be as a city upon a hill, where all men would come together in their Christian faith and make themselves visible for the common good (Document A). As time went on, Separatists, Puritans, Quakers, and other religious sects paved the way towards the rights of freedom. Not only did the New England region begin to allow for more religious tolerance and freedom from the former oppression in the Chesapeake area, but the ideals were clearly differentiated between the two forms of colonization.

Geography also played a large role in why the two regions had come to form separate societies at this time. The fertile soil that the Chesapeake area was grounded on allowed for the plantation and agricultural growth that encompassed most of the region's success. Virginia became famous for tobacco through John Rolfe's impression and instead of thriving off of commercialism, the fostering of crops became the necessary way of survival. With this being said, the need for labor for harvest and trade led to indentured immigrant servants (Document B) and eventually the practice of African American slavery that later on spread all throughout the south.

The New England colonies, however, were not as lucky agriculturally as the Chesapeake region and had to rely on further means of economic stability. Effectively making use of their broad rivers and dense forests, New Englanders prospered through shipbuilding and fishing. In order to best improve the environment in which they were given, for example, making a plantation in Massachusetts in 1636 involved an Article of Agreement stating that "everyone shall have