Essay Sample about New England’s Economy

Distinctive from other regions, New England’s economy surfaced due to the lack of agricultural needs. Their religion was to be based on puritans who wanted to reform the Church of England and labor that consisted of cruel treatment of indentured servants. The economy in the New England region was distinct because of its colder climate and rocky soil. It was not to be based on agriculture, unlike the rest, and didn’t have much of a need for slaves. The jobs that people had in most of the New England colonies were very sophisticated and took time to master. The colonies achieved this goal by holding up the Puritans’ belief in the values of hard work. Relationships with the indigenous people started stable and well handled. However as time passed, the desire for more land grew stronger, and the bonds broke. New England made most of their money off of tobacco and labor such as lumber, fishing, and shipbuilding. Tobacco became a crucial cash crop and was a primary factor in the initial growth of the economy. Although the economy for the most part was strong throughout the colonies, the Chesapeake economic status declined, and fewer indentured servants received what they were told; land and membership in the church. Puritans and pilgrims were the main components that differentiated the religion in New England colonies between the different regions. Puritans were a group of people who wanted to purify the church of England because they thought that the church was putting their needs over the community. The pilgrims, however, wanted to separate from the church because they believed that the church of England was too much like the catholic church. The Great Migration was when ““the first five ships sailed from England…[and] some 21,000 Puritans had emigrated from Massachusetts ' (56). They wanted to construct a new society by creating bonds between people, expanding religion, and separating from the church. The Great Migration was the settlement of Massachusetts and created a new government and society. New England colonies laid a foundation for the rise of incoming regions and were important because of their religious movements and the economy built in the absence of agriculture. 

The Quakers influenced most of the Middle Colonies' prospering economy, growing and stable religion, and the idea that freedom was a human right. William Penn wanted to start a refuge for his co-regionalists, who faced increasing persecution in England. He Assisted a group of English Quakers in purchasing half of what became the colony of New Jersey from Lord John Berkeley and hoped Pennsylvania could be governed with Quaker principles. The Quakers believed that “liberty was a universal entitlement, not the possession of any single people'' (find quote) and they all upheld a strict code of morality that they closely followed. Because the Quakers believed in no ownership of another person, slavery was against the Quaker's beliefs. The Charter of Liberty Offered “Christian liberty” to all who affirmed a belief in God and stated that there was no established church and attendance was voluntary. Pennsylvania was the most accepting colony with a primary set of (Quaker) beliefs and allowed religions to live in peace. This led to a relationship with natives that other regions could not compare to. Colonists and Indigenous lived in harmony. The Covenant Chain was an alliance in which the imperial ambitions of the English and Indians reinforced one another. It was an alliance with the Iroquois nation and was an ongoing set of treaties. The Covenant Chain was laid a premise of good Native- English relationships, that other regions could later build on. The economy in these colonies flourished because Penn sold cheap and abundant land, which attracted more settlers. “Religious toleration, healthy climate, and inexpensive land, along with Penn’s aggressive efforts to publicize [Pennsylvania’s] advantages, soon attracted immigrants from all over western Europe'' (79). These colonies merged into a distinct colonial society because of their religious uniformity, abundant land, and peace with the natives, which made the Middle Colonies one of the strongest emerging societies. 

The Southern Colonies united into one region because of their developing agriculture and large farms. They were able to maintain rice and tobacco as their main cash crops because of their fertile soil and substantial plantations. The first settlers were “a quarrelsome band of gentlemen and servants” (47) and had fertile land that colonists sought out to plant crops. The Southern Colony's economy truly depended on the agricultural advancements that other regions lacked. Maryland was seen as a refuge for Catholics. It was seen as a place where Protestants and Catholics could live in harmony. The Southern region was also very distinct because of their “wealthy and lavish” lifestyle and where a lot of wealthy landowners sought opportunities for their sons. Carolinians employed friendly Indians and enslaved/shipped the rest to colonies in the West Indies. The Headright System was also implemented in the Jamestown colony and said that people were granted fifty more acres if they brought indentured servants. This was created so that more settlers would come over and they could have more servants. Slavery was more common in the South due to the healthy agricultural climate. They worked long, treacherous hours. The relationship with indigenous people sparked from the unsuccessful Uprising of 1622, which shifted the power in the colony. Because of this, there was a forced treaty on the remaining indigenous people, requiring them to move onto reservations. They weren’t allowed onto the colonist's land without permission, keeping them off the land. The Southern Colonies' fertile land and prosperous soil allowed them to create a growing region with religious and cultural aspects that differ from other colonies. 

Each distinctive and evolving three regions had different systems of religion, economics, and labor, some succeeding more than others and each providing the foundation for emerging colonial societies.  In conclusion, these societies were all more successful than others in different ways. The New England colonies led the pathway for new ideas outside of the practices of the Church of England. Although they were at a disadvantage because of their rocky and infertile lands, they used it to their advantage and made money off of tobacco. The Middle Colonies were highly victorious in most aspects of government and relations. It was mainly led by the Quakers, who were against violence and believed that allying with the indigenous was important. They also prospered because of their cheap land. All of these factors attracted many settlers and were the reason the Middle colonies thrived. Lastly, the Southern colonies had a highly flourishing agricultural economy. With their huge amounts of fertile land that was great for farming, they produced corn and tobacco that helped their economy ascend. They also became a refuge for persecuted Catholics and built a community where they could live in peace with the protestants. Lots of wealthy landowners sought many opportunities in the Southern colonies, which fascinated many. These regions became three defined colonial societies, each leading the pathway for another and individually prospering in their ways.