Travis Lam APUSH Differences of the Chesapeake and New England Region

The Chesapeake and New England regions were very prosperous by the end of the 1700s. They were once similar in that they were settled by English settlers. As time passed the two regions branched out into different directions. The way the New England and Chesapeake regions developed politically, socially, and economically created two distinct societies. Politically, the New England and Chesapeake regions were different in how things were operated and who was in control. The church and state were intertwined in the Puritanical New England. Puritans set up democratic practices as they did in their Congregational Church government. For example, New England villagers would come together to discuss and decide on everyday issues such as repairing the city or electing new officials. New England politics were more liberal and centralized than that of the politics in the Chesapeake region. The autocratic Chesapeake region was more conservative due to the fact that the aristocrats and big landowners were in control. There were multiple governments in the Chesapeake region because the plantations and farms were scattered all over the place In an attempt to stay prosperous, the upper-class would try to keep things they were so it would be favorable to them. Religion took a back seat to money in the Chesapeake region's government. As a result of different beliefs in political ideals, the two regions were able to evolve into two different societies.

Travis Lam APUSH Social aspects of the New England and Chesapeake region molded the colonies into what they were in the 1700s. New England had stricter rules because of the critical Puritan clergy. In contrast, the Chesapeake region was more lenient and had more "fun". For example, stage plays were quite popular in the South but the clergy reproached them greatly because they thought the plays were immoral. What the clergy chose over stage plays were religious lectures. In addition to the strictness of New England Puritans, one couple was fined for kissing in public! The idea of marriage and a family was not in the picture for many in the Chesapeake because of the scarcity of women and disease ridden settlements. The reason families were not in ample amounts were because there were either too many men and not enough women, or the spouse would die too early. On the other hand, getting married and having children was a piece of cake in New England. According to one settler "a sip of New England's air is better than a whole draft of old England's ale." (pg76) The healthiness of New England enabled men and women to live longer, get married, and start a family. Family became a center of life in New England while it was nearly impossible for that to happen in the Chesapeake. Socially, New England and Chesapeake were total opposites of each other which also contributed to the differences of the regions by the 1700s. Ways to keep the economy prosperous differed in the New England and Chesapeake region. New England wasn't agriculture oriented as much as the Chesapeake due to its rocky soil. One of New England's main crops were grain. In the Chesapeake there were plenty of crops including: rice, sugar, and most importantly tobacco. If

tobacco couldn't be grown, it would be very hard to maintain a stable economy in the Chesapeake. Since New England didn't have many crops, laborers weren't nearly as needed as they were in the Chesapeake. New England saved more money because they didn't have to import as many slaves the Chesapeake did. To compensate for the lack of crops, New England used the ocean and their forests. The thick forests supplied lumber to sell and to use for shipbuilding. In the ocean, there were tons of cod to be fished and sold. Selling cod "yielded more wealth than all the treasure chests of the Aztecs." (pg 81) The shipbuilding allowed New England to participate in trade by transporting its goods. Overall, different economic opportunities shaped New England and the Chesapeake into different societies. While the New England and Chesapeake originated from English settlers trying to find a better life, both regions changed so much politically, socially, and economically that they both created a new identity for their society.