Compare and contrast the New England and Chesapeake regions of British North America in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries.

Both regions were different in terms of their geography, climate, and demographics.  The Chesapeake was warmer than New England since it was further south.  This allowed it to have a longer growing season.  This was important, as tobacco became one of the chief crops of the region and a leading American export to the rest of the world. The region was initially settled at Jamestown by English adventurers who wanted to find their wealth in...

Both regions were different in terms of their geography, climate, and demographics.  The Chesapeake was warmer than New England since it was further south.  This allowed it to have a longer growing season.  This was important, as tobacco became one of the chief crops of the region and a leading American export to the rest of the world. The region was initially settled at Jamestown by English adventurers who wanted to find their wealth in the New World and leave quickly.  Sadly, many of them never lived long enough to do so. Mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and yellow fever killed thousands.  In order to find enough labor for their growing tobacco plantations, the English turned to poor whites from England who needed to work off the cost of their passage to the New World.  However, the labor pool shrank drastically because economic conditions in England improved and the poor whites died of malaria just as fast as their richer counterparts.  When slaves were introduced by Dutch traders in 1619, the labor shortage was solved; slaves did not die as quickly, and African slaves, as well as their progeny, could be held indefinitely.  

New England was colder with thinner soil thanks to glacial activity during the previous Ice Age.  This led to shorter growing seasons with poorer soils when compared to the Chesapeake region.  New England was settled by family groups who left England in order to practice their version of Christianity without persecution from the Anglican Church.  They had small self-sufficient farms, and many of these people were industrious tradesmen.  In the New World, they created furniture and ships.  They were also excellent whalers and fishermen.  While slavery did exist in New England, it was not as important as it was further south; the Puritans averaged 5.5 births, and farms were close enough that major events such as building and harvesting could be shared by the entire community.  Life expectancy was also higher in New England than it was in the Chesapeake.