Life in Colonial American

Massachusetts and Virginia

The Colonial period saw the English established a number of colonies in America. These colonies were not only divided by geography, but also by such things as religion, economics, and other factors. Far to the north, in an area called "New England," lay the colony of Massachusetts, a religious-based society founded by members of a strict religious sect as a refuge from persecution. In the south lay Virginia, settled by a company, for economic purposes, and where religion did not dominate every aspect of society. These two English colonies were both English and Protestant., but could not be more different.

During the early 17th century there was "bitter persecution in England of those whose religious views differed from the Church of England." ("Massachusetts Colony") Among these were the Puritans, who wanted to purify the Church of England from harmful doctrines that were too similar to Roman Catholicism. After leaving England, the Puritans landed in America on December 21, 1920; founding the Plymouth Bay Colony. More colonists, under the leadership of John Winthrop, came to America and settled area located directly to the north of Plymouth, which they called the Massachusetts Bay Colony. These two colonies then merged in the late 1600's and formed the Colony of Massachusetts.

Life in Massachusetts was better than either England or Virginia, and life expectancy consequently became much longer. It is said that grandparents were invented in New England, "for it was here that people in great numbers grew old enough to see their children bear children." ("Puritan Life") Because the law required a tax supported school for each community that had 50 or more families, literacy rates were higher than other colonies such as Virginia. There was also no separation of church and state in Massachusetts, as church attendance was mandatory and sermons often addressed problems in the community.

Massachusetts was a small colony and many colonists had small family farms or practiced a trade in one of the developing cities like Boston. Sea trade became an important aspect of life in Massachusetts as well as industries like gold and silver smithing, woodworkers, shipbuilding, candle makers, and a variety of other urban trades.

On the other hand was a very different place called Virginia; first settled in 1607 at Jamestown by the "London Company" (also called the "Charter of the Virginia Company of London.") The first colonists were led by Christopher Newport, who soon returned to England leaving the colonists on their own. The colonists at Jamestown died in great numbers, and they would have all died had it not been for the actions of John Smith who made peace with the Indians and arranged for supplies of food. ("Virginia")

Because Virginia was founded by a company, it maintained it's economic focus over time. The majority of the settlers were members of the Church of England; as this colony was not envisioned as a retreat for those being religiously persecuted. As a result, religion, while an important part of society, did not play the central role like it did in Massachusetts. And instead of small family farms, like in the north, Virginia was populated with large plantations where ever increasing numbers of slaves were imported to do the work. Slavery was not allowed by the Puritans living in Massachusetts, but was integral to Virginia society. Also, Virginia was settled as an economic agricultural colony and thus tobacco became central to society in the south.