The Early New England and Chesapeake Regions

Numerous things went into the development of the New England and Chesapeake regions. Though both of these societies came from the same background, England, these different groups of people yielded a different way to live. Basic needs and idealistic concepts were two reasons that differentiated New England from the Chesapeake region. Basic needs included anything from food to shelter to education. The new pioneers had enormously varying ideas that they wished to accomplish in the New World.

Such ideas involved religious concepts and governmental leadership. Thirdly, why did people come to America? The variation as to why people decided to come to America, was one reason that New England and the Chesapeake region evolved into two distinct communities. The two groups had very different views as to what they wished to accomplish. Documents B and C show a random sample of the sort of people that came to America. Emigrants who arrived in New England were mostly families with several children and their servants.

The original people of New England were searching for a quiet place to call home, where they could raise their family apart from religious bias. On the other hand those who were bound for Virginia, mostly single young men, were in search of fortune. In contrast, only a few of these gold seekers were accompanied by family members, and probably knew very few of the other lads joining them on their quest. The men of the Chesapeake region had one basic mindset, and they were intent on finding wealth. This greed led to their own misfortune.

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In the History of Virginia, even before the settlers departed from England, the idea of the rich versus the poor had developed. There were those who had money and other such things, and those who did not. Those who did not became bitter from the hard trip and jealous of those slight few who struck gold in the New World. As stated by Captain Smith, "golden promises made all men their slaves in hope of recompenses. " Many of these men referred to as "slaves" consumed with greed, forgot to take care of their basic needs, food and shelter, therefore many simply died.

Both New England and the Chesapeake region realized they had to work together in order to survive and hopefully thrive in the future, but only New England established this at first. On Winthrop"s journey to America he stated in his own words, "we must be knit together in this work as one man. " He made a point in saying the only way to survive is to support each other. Well, one way to create a community is to find common ground for which the new settlers can relate, in this case they found it in their children.

Most of the citizens of New England had children, that is supported by Document B. With a large amount of children, logically there was a need for education. Thus education brought upon the building of schools, which in turn, made the newly founded society work together. Winthrop"s idealization of the unity of society stated that all must rejoice, mourn, labor and suffer together. He created unity among the people. Virginia had no such luck in finding this common ground and unity. They were too busy searching for gold.

The Puritans did not consume their time worrying about money as did the Virginians. Their main focus was on setting up a society where they were free from persecution. John Winthrop, a future governor of Massachusetts, wished to establish a religious community in the New World. The Puritan ambition had been to establish an ideal Christian community, a "city on a hill," as Winthrop called it, with the eyes of England and the entire world on it. Pride alone, as to not fail, may had been the reason for success. Also government played a huge part in the success of the northern colonies.

Almost immediately after arriving in New England, a government was set up. This government was led by the church. The Articles of Agreement set up certain orders that were to be followed. Such orders were to procure a minister that followed all the ways of Christ. Document D suggested that the town of Springfield, Massachusetts, be composed of forty families rich and poor. Unlike the Chesapeake region, Springfield allotted every inhabitant land on which a house could be built, but more importantly, land for planting.

Their government has evolved into our democratic government of the present. Although New England and the Chesapeake region had differences, neither society perished. Virginia thrived on wealth and materialistic items, you either had it or you did not. While in the background New England raised their young, trying to teach strong values and pass on their ideas of a better way of living. These first attempts at colonization, laid the foundation of society today.

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