New England and Chesapeake Colonization
by Lillian Bonar
Essay: New England and Chesapeake Colonization
Pages: 11
Rating: 3 stars
Download Links:
• New England and Chesapeake Colonization.pdf
• New England and Chesapeake Colonization.doc
During the 1600’s the New England and Chesapeake regions were beginning to settle and colonize. While both
came from English origin and had dreams of wealth and freedom, differences began to form just as they settled
and by the 1700s the two regions will have evolved into two distinct societies. Because of the exposure to different
circumstances both regions developed issues that were unique from one another and caused them to construct
their societies differently. Therefore, the differences socially, politically and economically in the two regions caused
the divergence.
The first settlement, Jamestown was established in the Chesapeake region. Geographically, the location was
unhealthy but easy to defend from the Spanish ships (but not inland Indians). The colony lacked leadership, John
Smith tried to impose order but conditions in the region were also not good and many died within the first year
from starvation (Document F) because many colonists did not work or have experience farming. Many of the
colonists who came from England to the Chesapeake were young males (Document C). Because of this, the region
almost died out because there was no natural population growth. It was not till John Rolfe introduced tobacco
that the Chesapeake region began to generate wealth. The rapid growth of tobacco required heavy labor so to
encourage cultivation of tobacco, the head right system began which also contributed to a large population
growth in the region. Because tobacco plantations created such wealth they became the key economic product.
Despite the profits from tobacco, The Chesapeake was still a terrible place to live with a high death rate from
diseases and attacks from Powhaten Indians. A pivotal change to the region was that the ...