New England Colonies Dbq

In the 17th century, the British colonies still identified themselves as European, but as the colonies expanded and grew more populous, they developed differing geographic, social, and economic systems. This difference between New England, and Chesapeake, is caused by the motivations for settlement between the two regions. While the New England colonies were mainly settled for religious motivations, most notably by the Puritans, the Chesapeake colonies were settled for economic prosperity. Also, while the Chesapeake colonies were mainly settled by individual young men seeking a profit, the New England colonies were settled by families hoping to settle and expand.

In the early 17th Century the Puritans settled in New England, forming the Massachusetts

Bay Colony. Their main motives for settlement were religious, hoping to separate themselves from the English Anglican Church. On the other hand, the settlers of the Chesapeake colonies were economically driven in the search for valuable resources and labor. The Puritans created colonies that they wanted to serve as models for other American settlements. Their desire to create a “city upon a hill” as described by John Winthrop (Doc A) shows their motivations to create a permanent religious settlement. Although they did not push aside trade entirely, they urged traders and workmen to follow an ethical code that would allow them to serve God and their neighbors (Doc E). The Puritans constructed their society based on their religious beliefs of intense worship and predestination of the good.
The individuals who settled the Chesapeake were motivated by wealth and quick profit, far different from the original Puritan settlers of New England escaping religious persecution in the Old World.

People’s main motives were not religious, but to “dig gold, wash gold, refine gold, load gold,”(Doc F). This resulted in competition, rather than bonding, over the settlement. The economy of the Chesapeake region made it more profitable to spread out, making the development of cities, schools, and churches more difficult. When the Joint Stock Co landed at Jamestown, they were looking for gold. Even though no gold appeared, John Rolfe’s founding of tobacco (Doc F) as a cash crop, and Virginia’s headright system, ensured people would continue to mold the Chesapeake and leave behind a mercantilist environment. The Chesapeake drew mostly single men, who came for individual profit, and indentured servants (Doc C). The economic gap between rich and poor was much larger, especially after the introduction of slaves and indentured servants, in the Chesapeake region than in New England. The Articles of Agreement shown in (Doc D) stated a common goal of “everyone’s quality and estate.” As they developed a much tighter community, they were more invested in the prosperity of everyone in their community. (Doc E) says that laborers “consider the religious end of their callings,” this shows that there was a religious motive to serve God by striving to maintain the strength of their

settlement.
During the 17th century, New England kept a strong family oriented identity whereas the Chesapeake region was more divided because of people’s motivation to make money. New England was also home to the puritans who sought to get away from religious persecution from the Anglican Church. The Chesapeake region was mostly a land for potential economic benefit for young men coming to the new world. Both regions had different climates as well which ultimately resulted in the growth of crops and trade, and the spread of diseases.