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How Did The Economy Affect The Development Of Colonial Virginia

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In the time period from 1607 to 1750, the economies of Virginia and Massachusetts began to develop. In Virginia, during the colonial times, it was a tobacco growing colony with a large population of tobacco planters. The spread of the tobacco cultivation increased the demand for workers and led Chesapeake planters to buy large amounts of slaves. They chose not to use indentured servants because African slaves offered more advantages to the owners. This led to a great increase in slave population along with the growth of tobacco planters in Virginia; an upper class of wealthy landowners with control emerged. Massachusetts, on the other hand, was a place of shipping for the Western hemisphere. The colonies were used to export manufactured goods …show more content…

The system of trade being so present in the colony allowed for more goods to be transported to Massachusetts, increasing their wealth and value of the merchandise. There were many other sources of income for the colony as well, including shipbuilding, fur trade, lumbering, and fishing. This brought their income rates up significantly. Virginia relied on tobacco production for most of their income; it was the colonies most successful cash crop. This meant farmers could grow a sufficient amount of tobacco and sell it for cash rather than keep it for themselves. In terms of economics, Virginia was known mostly for their vast amount of slaves, tobacco, and plantations. Aside from this, the colony didn’t have another way to make money meaning Virginia was less prosperous due to the lack of economic …show more content…

The Virgin Company of London, which was composed of wealthy British men, tried a number of reforms in terms of representative government. The most successful was the House of Burgesses. It was made up of twenty-two members, one being the governor, six forming the council, and the remaining fifteen were representative of Virginia's the majority of virginia's population, the citizens. In both Virginia and Massachusetts there was a similar government, each having a governor, council and some from of representatives. What set them apart was how they governed which was based on their different economic standpoint. Since Massachusetts had more money in general that Virginia, the government was able to run their people much easier, without having to worry about facing economic problems issues. This raised the politics to become more advanced compared to

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Although New England and Virginia both bordered the Atlantic and established in the early 1600s, New Englanders lived thirty years longer (30/60 vs. 40/70), and Virginia had a prevalent presence of indentured slaves and servants. America was first settled by English aristocrats, peasants, goldsmiths, jewelers, barbers, and glassblowers who were unfit to hunt game in forests and rivers and died from typhoid, dysentery, and salt poisoning. Under John Smith’s Virginia/London Company-given rule, he established connections with Powhatan, who traded corn (that kept colonists alive) for iron and guns. His departure made some settlers turn to cannibalism. When tobacco was found profitable, the only other activities men engaged in were sleep and drink.

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The colonial societies between the New England and the Chesapeake that developed prior to 1700 were very different but also had some similarities, in terms of there economic systems, social and political set ups, amd religious beliefs. The New England colonies economies were focused more on commerce and trade; while the Chesapeake colonies focused more on agriculture. The New England colonies had rocky soil and short growing seasons, making it more difficult to farm but they had many navigable rivers and harbors which helped them with trade. The Chesapeake colonies's economy was based more on cash crops, such as tobacco,rice, and indigo, they were less able to provide more industry due to their lack of markets and skilled labor force.

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In Virginia, people mostly focused on growing of staples and exotic crops for cash. The crops that they grew in their colony were rice, indigo, and tobacco. But in Virginia, tobacco was the crop that they focused on, in fact, tobacco was the first most famous staple crop grown and became their economic foundation. As far as working in the fields, Virginia started off with indentured servants to perform the labor, but as they became expensive they shifted to purchasing slaves. Mortality rates were higher because of diseases that many of them came in contact with, men were expected to live to forty and women weren’t expected to live past their thirties.

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The two colonies differed politically. “God Almighty in his most holy and wise providence hath so disposed of the condition of mankind, [that]in all times some must be rich, some poor, some high and eminent in power and dignity, other mean and in subjection” (Doc. A).The New England colony was a representative democracy; they held town meetings. It placed emphasize on having poor and rich families because of the importance of an equal society with representation from all sectors of life. “We intend by God's grace, as soon as we can, with all convenient speed, to procure some Godly and faithful minister with whom we purpose to join in church covenant to walk in all the ways of Christ” (Doc. D).

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With all of the wood they had, they were able to build lots of ships and make it an industry. Trade was also a major part of their lifestyle because it was very beneficial to them. The colonists also took part in the triangular trade routes and three stops on it were the West Indies, New England and West Africa. In addition due to the fact that the farm land wasn't the greatest, the colonists practiced a style called subsistence farming. Families produced just enough crops to help them survive.

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The process of black slavery taking route in colonial Virginia was slow. Black slavery mostly became dominant in the 1680s. Slaves became the main labor system on plantations. The amount of white indentured servants declined so the demand for black slaves became necessary in the mid-1660s. The number of white indentured servants that Virginia had up until the mid 1660s, was enough to meet white peoples labor needs.

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There were many differences between the two colonies when it came down to their political systems. First, both colonies were greatly influenced by Governors. This influence can be seen by Sir William Berkeley when he describes that the, “Governors…laid the Foundation of our wealth and industry on the vices of men”. This statement shows that the governors that were in the Jamestown colony had a profound influence during the beginning of their colony. Another thing to note about the Jamestown colony was in Frethorne’s letter when he stated that, “we took two alive and made slaves of them… it was by policy”.

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Massachusetts was one of the most successful colonies, founded by John Winthrop, as the Puritan religion allowed a strict regime of tight government rules and ideals. These colonies also differ

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Both the Chesapeake colonies and the New England colonies were vital to Britain’s atlantic trade. They both had large populations and booming economies. However, they both eventually established their own cultures that were different from each other. The colonies’ differing beliefs, environments, and labor lead to the contrasting cultures. The New England Colonies were a Puritanical society, who preached against excess.

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