COLONIAL EXPERIENCES IN CHESAPEAKE AND NEW ENGLAND

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Colonial Experiences in Chesapeake and New England

Even though Chesapeake and New England had many similarities, their differences were also astonishing in the face of how their response to the conditions in the environment. The colonial experiences are different in different aspects but also similar in others and therefore varied. Chesapeake colonies included Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, west, and east new jersey, while new England colonies included Rhode island, new haven, Massachusetts bay colony, Connecticut, and Plymouth.. These two groups of colonies began almost at the same time. However, they began for different reasons, which pushed each other further away in terms of the quality of life each of the groups on each side lived. This paper, therefore, discusses the colonial experiences in the Chesapeake and New England islands with a focus on education, purposes of establishment, economy, religion, and life expectancy.

The two different areas where England’s colonization was established for different reasons shaped the experiences each of the two sides got. The puritans mainly settled in the New England area; therefore, the settlement on the land was mainly driven by religious reasons. On the other hand, those who settled on the Chesapeake islands did so for economic purposes. Their form of practice was purely capitalistic. They desired to bring wealth from the colonies to the motherland in England. Therefore focusing on these two different reasons for the establishment, it is clear that the experiences in the two colonies were different. Those in the Chesapeake islands worked more and were more productive, while those who settled for religious purposes were not very productive. Religion in the two colonies also played an important role. This is because most of the Protestants at that time left England to go in search of peace. Therefore these two areas, even though they shared a religion whereby Protestantism was the majority they had no balance since the Chesapeake was not so much concentrated on religion as new Englanders were.

Education was another essential aspect that made the experiences of the two colonial territories challenging to balance. Education in New England was much more than it was in the Chesapeake islands. The difference was almost a 100-year difference in their education levels and which was very difficult to cover. In New England, there were policies like any village with 15 families was to build an elementary school while any town with 100 or more families was to build an advanced middle school. On the other hand, Chesapeake Island had no such rules and, therefore, the education level and quality difference. Therefore the northern part whereby the new Englanders had settled had a higher education than it was for the southerners.

The economy was another defining feature that differentiated these two areas. The southern part of the Chesapeake was mainly focused on the economy and making life better. However, the other part, which is the northern part, was focused on religion, and economic was the least of their concerns. There were distinct social classes in the northern part where the upper and lower classes were utterly distinct. This brought about inequality since the rich made the poor suffer and took away their property, leading to the bacon’s rebellion. The northern side was not so much into the economy; therefore, as long as they had their basic needs satisfied, they did not wish to involve themselves in so much. Most of the individuals in New England were Puritans, and their main focus was religion and education..

Life expectancy in New England was much far higher than life expectancy in Chesapeake. In New England, life expectancy was around 80 years. On the other hand, life expectancy in Chesapeake for men was 43 years, while the life expectancy for women was between 35 and 38 years. This was because the area of the Chesapeake Bay islands was in severe climatic condition. The land chose to build on and cultivate was not wisely chosen; therefore, those who settled there ended up suffering. The water was not clean, and there were a lot of mosquitoes. In New England, the climate was favorable, and the people who settled there were more concerned about each other’s welfare and health than on the Chesapeake Bay islands. This, therefore, explains the difference in life expectancy between the two areas..

In conclusion, the individuals who settled on Chesapeake bay islands were focused on the economy and making the best use of the area, and having as much wealth as possible taken to England. However, new England settlers were focused on finding a good place to practice their religion, and they focused more on education. They were also more communal and social than those who settled in Chesapeake, which is displayed in the life expectancy differences between the two. Therefore colonial experiences were better for the new England settlers as compared to the Chesapeake settlers.