Essay Sample on Role of The Economy in Thirteen Colonies

On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry indicated the upcoming revolution during his speech at a Virginia convention and purportedly implored: “Give me liberty, or give me death!” About liberty, there were many roles that religion and economics played in the settlement of the Thirteen Colonies, and my prompt assesses which of the reasons, religion or economics, caused the greater want for liberty. There are many aspects open for evolution, and this paper evaluates that economics played a stronger role than religion in the settlement of the Thirteen Colonies.

Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Maryland were founded, by, people seeking religious freedom. Pilgrim Separatists were not allowed to practice their religion freely. Therefore wanted to separate from the Church of England. English persecution prompted many to come to Maryland. However, in the end, most of them consisted of people that were not open to religious freedom at all. People who sought to practice a different version of Christianity or a non-Christian faith were prosecuted, which does not fit their religious principles and indicates how some people were stirring away from their religion.

Colonial settlements presented new business opportunities for merchants. Based on the success of Spain, the first colonists believed that gold and silver existed in great abundance in the Americas. These early adventurers came to the Americas in search of precious metals. Colonial settlements presented new business opportunities for merchants. The proprietors who owned the Carolinas encouraged people to come. Many came to own their land. Most people in Europe were peasants or tenant farmers with small, overworked lands and high rents. In America, the land still seemed plentiful. Later they realized that Tobacco would be a better alternative to profit from, and cash crops became a primary motive for early immigration to Virginia and the Carolinas. Land and its crops were an incentive for early colonists in the South. Many of the first settlers, around 50% to 65% of the whites before the American Revolution were indentured servants. They became indentured servants for transportation to Virginia, food, clothing, and shelter, which are object-oriented things that relate to the economy.

The economy played a stronger role in the settlement of the Thirteen Colonies. Although many colonies were founded, by people seeking religious freedom, in the end, people from those colonies did things that weren’t fit for their religion, such as prosecuting some who sought to practice or proselytize a different version of Christianity or a non-Christian faith. On the other hand, economic incentives often trumped religious intentions. First colonists came to the Americas in search of precious metals and cash crops became a primary motive for early immigration to Virginia and the Carolinas. Colonial settlements presented new business opportunities for merchants, and most whites came to own their land. 

Economics played a stronger role than religion in the settlement of the Thirteen Colonies.