Similarities And Differences Between The New England Colonies And The Chesapeake Colonies

Beginning in the early 17th Century, English settlers scattered themselves along the eastern coast forming some of the first clearly defined regions of the United States. While both the New England colonies and the Chesapeake colonies had deep-seated aversion for the natives, they differed in their religious homogeneity and economic policies. The New England colonies were strictly Puritan whereas the Chesapeake colonies followed no universal religion; also, while the New England colonies relied on fishing, shipbuilding, and farming, the Chesapeake colonies relied on their strong tobacco based economy. Although both regions were eventually conquered by the British and forced to merge as one nation, the New England colonies and the Chesapeake …show more content…
While the Chesapeake colonies followed no universal religion, the New England colonies were mostly Puritans. Puritans were religious reformists who aimed to “purify” the Anglican Church (of the Church of England). Their religion is also a very important reason for their migration to the Americas. In an effort to escape religious persecution, they fled to the east coast of the “New World”. Being strictly religious people, the New England colonies had some very strict moral codes such as the marital arrangement. Wives are supposed to be in subjection to their husband and submit to his authority. This point was explained in Benjamin Wadsworth’s A Well-Ordered Family where he educated not only Puritan families but also those who wished to learn about their faith (Doc 6). As a severely religious region, the New England colonies were intent on expanding and making their God proud. In an oration to a group of English Puritans, John Winthrop expressed the hope he had for their journey and in summary he said they were doing God’s will (Doc 2). Therefore their drive, or motivation, for building upon their already glorious colonies was to bring glory to God. In contrast, the Church of England was the established church in the Colony of Virginia, this means taxpayers paid for the support of the church whether or not they were supporters of the Anglican faith. Meanwhile, in the Colony of Maryland, there were Catholics and Protestants. The Chesapeake colonies were diverse in their religious beliefs thus presenting a disunited front. The New England colonies and the Chesapeake colonies differed in their religious policies because of the different degrees of unity they displayed through