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Compare And Contrast Virginia And Massachusetts Bay Colonies

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The Colonies of Virginia and Massachusetts Bay During the 17th and 18th century, English residents felt that England was over-crowded and intolerable. They wanted to lessen these problems that rose up because of the large population increase and to establish more religious freedom (Horn). The English believed that the best way to go about this was to colonize the New World. Subsequently, many colonies began to develop, and of these colonies, Massachusetts Bay and Virginia were the most well-known. The early settlements of Massachusetts and Virginia were both established by similar groups of people at the same time; furthermore, their contrasting beginnings as a colony, views on religion, and method of economic stability all contributed to our American heritage today. The colonies of Virginia and Massachusetts Bay were the first successful English colonies, and they influenced the future for America (Levy). Although the …show more content…

One being their religions, in Jamestown they were Anglican, whereas in Mass. they were Puritan (Stokely). There is also the difference of geographic location. Massachusetts is located in the north where there are harsher weather conditions. Their location provided an excellent harbor and since the terrain did not allow much farming they started lumbering, shipbuilding, fishing, and trade. Virginia, in the south, where there is a much warmer climate, they had a great defensive position and were able to create prosperous plantations (Levy). The settlement in Massachusetts was made up of communities of family units because the colonists of Mass. came with their families (Sonia). Furthermore, the colonists of Jamestown were made up of individuals who understood the value of the crop tobacco, and were only there for the money. Virginia had an economy based on plantations and labor; Massachusetts was comprised of small farmers and merchants (“Instructions for the Virginia

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