Towards the end of the sixteenth century, Great Britain sought to place colonies in the New World in order to combat Spain’s successes in South America. The first two successful colonies in North America were Jamestown, founded in 1607, and Massachusetts Bay, founded in 1630. The New England and Chesapeake regions were settled mostly by people of English origin, both evolved into two distinct societies due to the purposes of the colonies, the people who populated the colonies, and the principles of the colonists.
The reasons for the colonization of Jamestown varied greatly from the reasons for the colonization of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Jamestown was established for economical gain. Captain John Smith, who lived in Virginia during the …show more content…
The planters y saw their lives in the colony as transitory and brutally worked indentured servants to grow tobacco as a cash crop. Almost all of the people who set sail for Virginia were indentured male servants, who sold themselves into servitude, looking for an opportunity to make a quick buck. (Doc C). Poor and uneducated, the indentured servants were often oppressed and swindled by their masters, resulting in a large gap between the upper and lower class. The New England colonies were settled by large families and the ages and genders of the population were equally dispersed (Doc B).The New England colonies did not have many indentured servants, but instead relied on apprenticeships, where men learned how to do a certain job. The use of apprenticeship led to less social and economical dissent later on. Hence, the separate populations encouraged the development of two different …show more content…
In Virginia, the principles of the elite were very self serving in Virginia. In the 1670’s, the price of tobacco dropped, giving small farmers barely enough money to make a living. Additionally, voting rights to the House of Burgesses were restricted to property owners only, giving the lower class no political power. The aristocrats then used their political dominance to tax the lower class and cause even greater economic disparity. Small planters, sick and tired of being taken advantage of, joined with Nathaniel Bacon in a rebellion incited by Native American attacks. In Bacon’s “Manifesto,” Bacon justified his insurgency against the governor of Virginia, Berkeley, and demonstrated how the people of Virginia were angry as a result of the government’s abuse of power to further its own gain. (Doc G). Though principles of the Virginia colonies were self serving, the New England colonies’ principles were based on their Puritan religion. These pious Puritan values can be seen in Articles of Agreement for Springfield, Massachusetts. The colonists that settled Springfield stated that the town would value all members of the society by giving land to every man to provide for his family. (Doc D). In consequence of the Puritan’s principles, the lower class was generally complacent. The New England colonies set wage prices as well, so that no one would make a profit at the expense of his fellow man (Doc E). The
The reasons for the colonization of Jamestown varied greatly from the reasons for the colonization of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Jamestown was established for economical gain. Captain John Smith, who lived in Virginia during the …show more content…
The planters y saw their lives in the colony as transitory and brutally worked indentured servants to grow tobacco as a cash crop. Almost all of the people who set sail for Virginia were indentured male servants, who sold themselves into servitude, looking for an opportunity to make a quick buck. (Doc C). Poor and uneducated, the indentured servants were often oppressed and swindled by their masters, resulting in a large gap between the upper and lower class. The New England colonies were settled by large families and the ages and genders of the population were equally dispersed (Doc B).The New England colonies did not have many indentured servants, but instead relied on apprenticeships, where men learned how to do a certain job. The use of apprenticeship led to less social and economical dissent later on. Hence, the separate populations encouraged the development of two different …show more content…
In Virginia, the principles of the elite were very self serving in Virginia. In the 1670’s, the price of tobacco dropped, giving small farmers barely enough money to make a living. Additionally, voting rights to the House of Burgesses were restricted to property owners only, giving the lower class no political power. The aristocrats then used their political dominance to tax the lower class and cause even greater economic disparity. Small planters, sick and tired of being taken advantage of, joined with Nathaniel Bacon in a rebellion incited by Native American attacks. In Bacon’s “Manifesto,” Bacon justified his insurgency against the governor of Virginia, Berkeley, and demonstrated how the people of Virginia were angry as a result of the government’s abuse of power to further its own gain. (Doc G). Though principles of the Virginia colonies were self serving, the New England colonies’ principles were based on their Puritan religion. These pious Puritan values can be seen in Articles of Agreement for Springfield, Massachusetts. The colonists that settled Springfield stated that the town would value all members of the society by giving land to every man to provide for his family. (Doc D). In consequence of the Puritan’s principles, the lower class was generally complacent. The New England colonies set wage prices as well, so that no one would make a profit at the expense of his fellow man (Doc E). The