Chesapeake Colonies Vs New England Colonies Essay

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The Revolutionary War gave reason for America’s unification, but the diversity of America made it impossible for one unified culture to emerge. By 1700, the New England and Chesapeake colonies had evolved into two distinct societies contrary to their predominantly English populations, but these differences did not happen quickly. Rather, they were the result of the colonists’ intentions during colonization, their distinct environments, and their different social and political inequalities. The New England and Chesapeake colonies began to develop into two distinct societies from their very beginnings due to the intentions of their respective colonists during colonization. For instance, many of the colonists from the New England colonies were Puritans and came for religious freedoms. When they came to America, they tended to come as stable families without belief in divorce. It was this stable family life that gave New England a significant …show more content…

Education was highly regarded by the Puritans leading to the creation of Harvard College to train boys for the ministry. Their religious beliefs allowed for a stable family life and for the New England colonies to become one of the most well educated and prosperous colonies. The Chesapeake colonies had none of this with their general reason for immigration being success and money. The excess amount of slaves and male indentured servants to work the land for maximum profit gave the Chesapeake colonies little opportunity for family besides slave families. In turn, there were scarcely any large towns or schools, and their literacy rate was low in comparison to the religious Puritans in New England. Their society suffered in the lack of education. Likewise, the New England and Chesapeake colonists began to settle in vastly different environments, ultimately shaping and diversifying their