New England Vs Chesapeake Bay

With the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, Britain began to vie with France in hopes of becoming a leading global force that was second to none. This international rivalry sparked a race to colonize and expand their empires beyond domestic boundaries. From 1607-1700, many Englishmen would settle in colonial America, however, despite common ancestry, New England and the Chesapeake Bay Region became two very distinct societies due to their geographic deviations, economic dependencies, and their varying emphasis on religion.

Colonists had to adapt to two very different environments. The Chesapeake Bay Region had warm weather, plentiful rainfall, and nutrient-rich soil. In addition to a favorable climate, the Chesapeake Bay Region had many rivers flowing inland enabling planters that settled along the coast to grow surplus amounts of exotic staples. Farmers utilizing the environmental advantages for profit distanced themselves from others with large amounts of land out of monetary greed. However, unlike the farmer-friendly conditions presented in the South, the close-knit farmers of New England were greeted with an agricultural hell. The soil in New England was iced over with a layer of rocks resting on top and colder, harsher weather accompanied by a short growing season made New England anything but an ideal farming region.

Drastically different geographical situations forced the two areas to develop different ways of economic gain. Its geographical advantages allowed for the Chesapeake Bay Region to grow exotic staples. Plants such as tobacco and rice were valued by the mother country and proved to be extremely profitable to those who grew it. In addition, pine trees supplied lumber and other key resources for the maritime industry, such as tar. Unfortunately, New England couldn’t look to the South when adopting means of regional income. Their subpar soil conditions and other various disadvantages barred them from utilizing their land for their primary source of income. Instead, the people of New England looked to the sea to meet their economic needs. Unlike the South, the North thrived