Differences Between North And South Colonies

English colonies, North and South

The origin of the United States’ diversity refers us back to its beginning, particularly to the Northern, Middle and Southern colonies. Their differences in religion, economics, politics, social issues, and the way they dealt with them are what shaped the country into what it is today.

In the year of 1606 King James I of England issued two ships, one for the Virginia Companies of London and one of Plymouth. English settlements of North and South emerged and developed as different societies but there were similarities as well. I am going to argue that this difference occurred because of doctrinal, social and environmental reasons. Regions of New England and Chesapeake, which represent North and South respectively,

had distinct doctrines, rules and beliefs. All people that chose to immigrate to the US and to become a member of a specific settlement were pursuing their own goals. Both regions were also shaped by the environment and conditions they had to do with.

According to Lists of Emigrants (Documents 2 and 3), New England was more attractive for large families with children, personal servants and workers. This can be explained by the fact that people understood that they would spend the rest of their lives here and would be building the society together. On contrary, ships bound for Virginia had only single adventurers of various age. Most individualists were interested in money only – dig gold or grow crops for cash.

One of the larger differences that arose between the Northern and Southern colonies dealt with religion.

It is true that founders of most Northern colonies were Puritans, many of them fled England to escape religious persecutions. They believed that together with preachers, worshipping and Bible ministries they would get God’s blessing to survive. A good example of how people bound their life with religion can be John Winthrop’s speech aboard the ship to New England, “The eyes of all people are upon us, so if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause him to withdraw his present help from us, we shall be made a story and a by word through the world”. Quakers came after Puritans and they were treated badly by the other communities although they were able to populate some states in the North. They believed that only worshipping and internal human union with Christ will lead to salvation. Religion in the southern colonies was practiced significantly less willingly. Landowners could only rely on plantations and their workers. Other people followed Catholicism and Protestantism, which were the major ones. Catholics held the power and influence they got at first upon arrival. Protestants became more spread with the growth of population and soon outnumbered

Catholics.

The religion was not the only thing that made these colonies so different, they were also economically divergent. A big economic difference between them was that the New England colonies did not have the rich and capable soil that was suitable for growing crops like the Southern colonies had. With the availability of coastal fishing places and large woods Northern colonies based their economy on mixed trade, fur trade and different cottage industries. Unlike the south, they became a merchant, trading society. With the information in Document 5 it can be said that people used ordinances to regulate the political and economical situation. But we can also deduce that there were the only specialists and they used their position to set too high prices. Therefore, the South was able to use the soil they had to their advantage, to be specific - growing tobacco in Jamestown. They built huge plantations to grow massive crops of cotton, rice and tobacco for money, which they received from exports to England. Since the New England colonies did not have these vast and rich plantations like the Southern colonies, there was no need for slaves and indentured servants.

Politics in the colonies varied according to their religious preferences. Puritans were governing for Puritanism, i.e. representative self-government that included all-town meetings. Only white male church members were allowed to make decisions on government for the colony. The southern colonies were ruled by an old legislative body and the King of England appointed the royal governor. Not everyone liked such type of government and therefore Bacon’s “Manifesto” justifies it. People did not see the result from the money they paid the government. Yet these colonies seem so politically different, both lands had royal governors who controlled and ruled.

The area of New England was rocky and hilly with dark woods while the Chesapeake region was mostly flat and open spaced. Consequently, an average town of New England had a Meeting House in the center and was surrounded by other houses for the first years. From nucleated to disperse it changed with the growth of population and pertinence of resources. Chesapeake region from the beginning had all houses separated from each other. The flat pattern allowed using long straight roads that could not be used in New England. Something that made these colonies similar in some way was the transportation system. People and goods needed to move from colony to colony and it was an important factor in both north and south. As the result, the major cities are lying along the rivers and on harbors, such as deep Boston harbor. The North is considered to be the industrial center of the country due to controlling main river routes for shipping and exports. The south continued to develop agriculturally and with its slavery and old form of society was unable to make much progress.

Although there were numerous differences that divided the New England colonies from the Southern colonies religiously, economically, and politically, there were also quite a few similarities as well. In conclusion, European settlers settled both regions. At that time religion in New England was of great importance and touched almost every sphere of life. The differences in religion, economics, politics and environment that took place in sixteenth century continue to influence the life of the United States today.