Colonial Life DBQ essays

Colonial Life DBQ essays There are several reasons as to why the colonies of the Chesapeake and the colonies of New England differed so greatly. The reasons all had to do with the climates, the religions, the people, and their motives for coming to the areas in which they settled. The climates of New England and the Chesapeake area differed greatly. This factored in and effected several different key differences. The climate down south was more conducive to cash crops such as sugar, tobacco, and rice- while New England's rocky and infertile soil catered to a lifestyle that revolved around manufacturing. The north would purchase crops from the south and then use them to manufacture goods. Then, they would sell the finished products to the south or to England. This ensured economic stability because Britain always bought products from the colonies, and the south depended on the north for finished goods. The climate also affected the quality and length of life. In the Chesapeake region, life expectancy was rather poor. Diseases like malaria were not uncommon and long days working in the fields often took years off one's life. Another problem was that when the colonists who had come to the south arrived, most were not into the whole idea that one had to plant crops and hunt in order to survive. They were mostly into looking for gold that didn't even exist. So from the start, their numbers dwindled and many died over the Because so many young men passed away, women actually had to be afforded certain rights, such as the widow's right to inherit her husband's property. This was a far cry from the rights of women up north. Basically, their rights included taking care of their children (they usually had about eight) taking care of the household, and being accused of practicing witchcraft. In New England, women just really didn't have that much power, mostly because men didn't ...