Compare And Contrast The Headright System Between 17th And 18th Century England

In 17th and 18th century England, opportunities and freedoms were very limited due to the rigid class structure, political conflicts, and overcrowding. These problems made it difficult for commoners to acquire significant wealth or climb the social ladder. Furthermore, the supremacy of the Church of England created an atmosphere of religious persecution for religious minorities such as Catholics and Puritans. As such, increasing numbers of English people were drawn towards the American Colonies where they could start fresh lives and reinvent themselves in a new land. In England, the population was growing yet there was limited space for development. However, the Americas had an abundance of land which was given in large portions to settlers

Thus, the American colonies were open for people who wanted an easy way to become wealthy. There were more job opportunities in the colonies, while in England the market was flooded with others trying to sell the same product. In the colonies, there was little competition in the making and selling of goods. The headright system was introduced, which allowed settlers to migrate to the colonies and receive fifty acres of land for every passage that he paid. This let many people become landowners, where they would have never had the chance to in England. Tobacco, a cash crop that grew well in the sandy soil of the southern colonies, was introduced. The popularity of Tobacco products in England, made it a large trade between the two, and many landowners grew large crops of it. Farming and tobacco production became a large part of the southern economy. These crops led to many people becoming wealthy. The English also seeked raw materials that were scarce in England, and were costly when buying from other countries. The New England area had an abundance of timber that was sent to England to build ships. This timber, and other raw materials became the driving force of New England economy, because of the high demand in England. In England, there were much higher inflation rates, and lower pay than in the colonies, due to the saturated market. Therefore, the American colonies held more economic opportunities than England, with the chance of expanding their