New England and Chesapeake Regions by 1700

The New England and the Chesapeake regions were both settled by immigrants from England. However, by 1700 these regions developed into two extremely different societies. There were a few major reasons why this happened. Immigrants that settled in the New England region came to the New World with different goals than the immigrants that settled in the Chesapeake region. In general, the settlers in the Chesapeake region were more materialistic than the settlers in the New England region. Differences in goals, values, and beliefs caused the distinction between the two societies.

First of all, the immigrants that settled in the New England region had different goals than those that settled in the Chesapeake region. Most settlers that founded the New England colonies came from an area called East Anglia in Eastern England. They left England because of religious persecution and came to the New World seeking religious and social freedom. The immigrants that came to New England came in large families, as shown in the ship's list of emigrants bound for New England in March, 1635. On the other hand, most of the people that settled in the Chesapeake region came without their family, as shown in the ship's list of emigrants bound for Virginia in July, 1635. The immigrants in the Chesapeake region were mostly wealthy middle-age men that left England in an attempt to get even richer in the New World.

Also, the people of the New England region and the Chesapeake region valued different things. The New England colonists were far less materialistic than the Chesapeake colonists. Settlers in New England strongly valued religion. This is seen in the first article of the Articles of Agreement, Springfield, Massachusetts, 1636, which show that the colonists wanted to follow the lifestyle described in the bible. Religious value is also shown in the Wage and Price Regulations in Connecticut, 1676, when it states that "receiving such moderate profit as may enable them to serve God". In contrast, the settlers in the Chesapeake region valued material things such as gold. Captain John Smith mentions this in the History of Virginia, 1624, when he states, "There was no talk