Chesapeake vs New England Before 1700 Essay Example
Zach Hite Hour 6
AP U.S. History Mr. Goetz Many of the differences that separated the Chesapeake from New England before 1700 were a result of the types of people that moved there, and the land that was available for use. New England, which consisted of Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, was a center for industrialized businesses while the Chesapeake that included the colonies of Virginia and Maryland, was a farming community. The societies of New England and the Chesapeake were very different by 1700, this can be shown by looking at the reasons and types of people that chose to live in a certain region, the economies of the region, and the labor force that exists. To be able to understand how the Chesapeake and New England regions were initially separated, the focus needs to be turned to why people moved to the the colonies in the first place, and what they were planning on doing with their lives. People moving to the Chesapeake, particularly Virginia, in the 1600’s were usually people that had the trip over to America paid for by a plantation owner. These groups of people consisted of mainly men that were between the ages of 17 and 30 (Doc. C), with some women usually within the same range. These people would work for the person that paid their way over for an average of seven years on their farms. The main incentive for the plantation owners was what was known as the “headright” system. This system which was established in 1618 authorized the grant of 50 acres of land for every individual that was moved over at the cost of the plantation owner. This system was introduced to encourage population growth by immigration, during a time where there was little to no population stability in the Chesapeake region. Another main trait that set these colonists apart from their neighbors in New England is the fact that they all belong to the Church of England. Unlike the colonies of Virginia and Maryland, New England was a stable region
AP U.S. History Mr. Goetz Many of the differences that separated the Chesapeake from New England before 1700 were a result of the types of people that moved there, and the land that was available for use. New England, which consisted of Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, was a center for industrialized businesses while the Chesapeake that included the colonies of Virginia and Maryland, was a farming community. The societies of New England and the Chesapeake were very different by 1700, this can be shown by looking at the reasons and types of people that chose to live in a certain region, the economies of the region, and the labor force that exists. To be able to understand how the Chesapeake and New England regions were initially separated, the focus needs to be turned to why people moved to the the colonies in the first place, and what they were planning on doing with their lives. People moving to the Chesapeake, particularly Virginia, in the 1600’s were usually people that had the trip over to America paid for by a plantation owner. These groups of people consisted of mainly men that were between the ages of 17 and 30 (Doc. C), with some women usually within the same range. These people would work for the person that paid their way over for an average of seven years on their farms. The main incentive for the plantation owners was what was known as the “headright” system. This system which was established in 1618 authorized the grant of 50 acres of land for every individual that was moved over at the cost of the plantation owner. This system was introduced to encourage population growth by immigration, during a time where there was little to no population stability in the Chesapeake region. Another main trait that set these colonists apart from their neighbors in New England is the fact that they all belong to the Church of England. Unlike the colonies of Virginia and Maryland, New England was a stable region