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The Societies of Colonial New England and Virginia The societies of New England and Virginia in the seventeenth century contrasted each other greatly. Many of the immigrants that settled in these regions were from English or European origin. Ironically, the life expectancy, family life, and types of communities that these societies created completely contradicted each other. Virginias society was a gold rush society where a majority of the colonists were men who became indentured servants.
Document F reveals that they fled England in search of a more prosperous life. The statistics in document C exhibit the fact that most of the colonists in Virginia were men. At this time in history, for every five men in Virginia there was only one woman. The colonists in New England, on the other hand, immigrated to America in families.
New Englanders lived in communities that consisted mostly of families. Document B illustrates this phenomenon. As document D states, the people of New England intended their town to be composed of forty families rich and poor. The colonists in New England had large families.
The children in these families were their family's laborers. This explains why only 17 percent of their population was composed of indentured servants compared to 80 percent in Virginia. The life expectancies of colonists in New England greatly exceeded the life expectancies of the colonists in Virginia. The James River in Virginia became contaminated in the summer. This caused the colonists to become infected with diseases such as dysentery, typhoid, and malaria. These diseases can be held accountable for a death rate in Virginia of 80 percent.
The life expectancy of men in New England, on the other hand, was 72 years of age. The New England colonists were Puritans that hoped to create a model city in their immigration to America (document A). As document D states, the colonists wanted to join in church covenant to walk in all the ways of Christ. The colonists intended to erect the kind of churches in America that god demanded. Document E also illustrates the colonists passion for religion when it recommended that, all tradesmen and laborers consider the religious end of their callings receiving such moderate profit as may enable them to serve God. The New England colonists feared the consequences England would face with their lack of enthusiasm for church in its government.
There were many causes for the different societies created when the English immigrated to New England and Virginia in the seventeenth century. The environmental differences between these two geographical areas must be accountable for the disease and life expectancy of the colonists. The motives for immigration must also be held responsible for the fundamental differences between the societies that were created in Virginia and New England. Bibliography:
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