Chesapeake Settlers Essay
The settlers of the Chesapeake region of America were an extremely fascinating bunch. Despite many hardships, they set the stage for the American South for the next two centuries, and achieved a lot with precious little. It is simply amazing to think of how anyone could have stayed alive in a foreign land surrounded by the unknown, with no friends and family to help and guide them.
The majority of the colonists that moved to the Chesapeake region of Maryland and Virginia were laborers, that owed years of work to pay off their expense for relocating to the New World. They consisted of young men for the most part, with only a small number of females in the beginning years. Unfortunately, many of the new colonists didn't even live to see …show more content…
Some men were successful, but most lived in near poverty. Freemen rarely worked for others, choosing to try to cultivate their own crops. In result, the region was very unorganized, and every man was for himself. Towns were not needed, nor were they present in this time, as planters had no need to trade their goods with other planters for profit. Families were not common in those days, as women were few and far between, and childbirth was extremely dangerous. There was also no need for schools; too many children died before they were of age to attend. Where New England had already established Harvard University, the Chesapeake region didn’t even own a printing press. Life was miserable at that time, since most colonists were essentially working themselves into an early grave, with little or no satisfaction along the …show more content…
It was at this time that colonists began owning slaves. It was becoming increasingly difficult for plantation owners to harvest their own crops, with all the manpower needed to tend to the fields. Plus, more helping hands meant more money in the long run. Although slavery had not been practiced in England for a long time, it was not an issue for England to accept this change, as it meant more money for the Crown. This is another reason why the life expectancy of colonists increased; less physical work, less stress, and more money gave the planters the break that they desperately
The majority of the colonists that moved to the Chesapeake region of Maryland and Virginia were laborers, that owed years of work to pay off their expense for relocating to the New World. They consisted of young men for the most part, with only a small number of females in the beginning years. Unfortunately, many of the new colonists didn't even live to see …show more content…
Some men were successful, but most lived in near poverty. Freemen rarely worked for others, choosing to try to cultivate their own crops. In result, the region was very unorganized, and every man was for himself. Towns were not needed, nor were they present in this time, as planters had no need to trade their goods with other planters for profit. Families were not common in those days, as women were few and far between, and childbirth was extremely dangerous. There was also no need for schools; too many children died before they were of age to attend. Where New England had already established Harvard University, the Chesapeake region didn’t even own a printing press. Life was miserable at that time, since most colonists were essentially working themselves into an early grave, with little or no satisfaction along the …show more content…
It was at this time that colonists began owning slaves. It was becoming increasingly difficult for plantation owners to harvest their own crops, with all the manpower needed to tend to the fields. Plus, more helping hands meant more money in the long run. Although slavery had not been practiced in England for a long time, it was not an issue for England to accept this change, as it meant more money for the Crown. This is another reason why the life expectancy of colonists increased; less physical work, less stress, and more money gave the planters the break that they desperately