Chesapeake Colonies Dbq

Many colonies developed along the coast of America, however, the earliest and perhaps most influential by the English were Virginia (notably the Chesapeake area) and New England (with Massachusetts the hearth of society). They shared many characteristics such as desiring the rights of Englishmen which entails struggles with their homeland. However, there were stark differences by their lifestyles through the Chesapeake’s landownership and New England’s church based politics, the social ideals of the Chesapeake’s harshness and New England’s peace, and the racism of the Chesapeake’s population and New England’s lack of racism. These ultimately caused them to drift apart culturally and eventually become part of the basis of the struggle to unite, …show more content…
Although every colony allowed slavery, New England did not have the “fertile soil” needed for large plantations (Kennedy 76). When they saw that the slaves were less oppressed, then they were less likely to find slavery to be a normal, just action. In fact, their preachers protested slavery. The Mennonites of German town felt that “bring[ing] men hither, or to rob and sell them against their will, we stand against” (Kennedy 74). On the other hand, it was normal and accepted practice in Virginia, even to the point that “nearly half the population of Virginia by 1750” was slaves (Kennedy 74). Although the conditions were better for slaves for tobacco was an easier crop to grow than rice, Virginia was still at the forefront of …show more content…
As a consequence, the gap between the cultures would rock the nation as we tried to unite. Therefore, this struggle is a struggle of belief systems. These societies built on separate lifestyles and cultures, with notable differences being between landownership/oligarchy and theocracy/church based politics, the prevalent ideals of harshness and peace, and the racism of the Chesapeake and New England’s lack of racism. This racism would carry on into the civil war and to the future. This instance, in the Chesapeake, is similar to the civil war in that it caused the issues; “But as the number of Africans in their midst increased … white colonists reacted remorselessly to this supposed racial threat” confirms the resentment whites in the Chesapeake (and in the South in general) had for African slaves (Kennedy 74). We still have much racism today, because it is imbedded into our culture. We are still trying to shake off our imperfections. We are still not determined by our