New England and Chesapeake Societies

            The English settled both New England and the southern colonies.  The southern colonies were founded for gold and making money, while New England was established more for religious freedom.  These regions turned out to be two very distinct and successful parts of America.  New England and the southern colonies became unique in their opportunities and resources.  Although both settled largely by people of English origin, by 1700 New England and Chesapeake had evolved into two distinct societies due to geographic, economic, and social characteristics, the most important of these being social.

            One reason for the difference in the development of New England and southern colonies is geography.  The southern colonies had large areas full of fertile land, while New England was largely infertile and rocky land.  The southern colonies had a warmer climate than New England. New England had a harshly cold climate, especially during the winter months.  The southern colonies were mainly coastal plains.  New England; however, was scattered with forestland and small amounts of open land.  These differences in geography caused a difference in the development of the economies of the regions.

            Economic differences also created distinct societies.  The southern colonies focused on cash crops grown on large plantations and exported for profit.  New England’s economy comes from the large amount of codfish in the area and the successful shipping industry.  Slaves were more important for the formation of the southern colonies’ economy.  The many plantations in the southern colonies fueled this importation of slaves.  In the southern colonies there was less of a community feel to the economy, and more of an “every man for themselves” attitude. The separate economies added to the distinct development of each region.

            The social characteristics of each region were the most important in creating two distinct societies.  The New England colonies were a more family – oriented group of people.  The people that migrated there mainly came together with their families (doc B). In the southern colonies, people usually migrated there as single passengers without family (doc C).  New England “invented” the grandparent and had low premarital pregnancy rates.  Southern colonies had high amount of premarital pregnancies.  Living in New England added ten years to a person’s life.  New England had a more egalitarian society than that of the patriarchal southern colonies.   Every inhabitant was given a good portion of land for a house and for planting (doc D).  Women, children, and slaves all answered to the father.  In southern colonies, wealth and power were the most important things in society and the poor were taken advantage of (doc H).  New England did have a wealthy merchant class. New England was based more on religion and education than the southern colonies.  The puritans of New England were less aristocratic and more simple socially.  New England had many of the first colleges, including Harvard.  These social factors brought on two totally different societies.

            The regions of New England and the Chesapeake were both settled by English speakers.  However, these regions both grew to be two completely unique societies with little in common.  Each of the regions grew in its own specified industry, whether it be shipping and lumber to tobacco.  These two groups grow apart in similarities as they grow economically and socially.  The differences in development between New England and the southern colonies were caused by geographic, economic, and social factors, the most important factors being social.