Virginia vs. Massachusetts

Shayma Hammad History 1301, Monday Wednesday 11:00-12:20 Dr. Snaples December 3rd, 2012 Debate Paper This essay explains and shows the differences between the Virginia colony and the Massachusetts colony. People all over Europe started coming down to the “new world” (America), they came to the new world for many reasons such as land, food, religion and much more. Before I start to contrast between the 2 colonies I’m going to give a general background on them. Massachusetts was established in 1620 and Virginia was established in 1607.

Virginia’s colony was Jamestown and Massachusetts was Salem and Boston. Virginia was located in the southern colony, it also offered land. Tobacco was a profitable crop, so John Rolfe took seeds and planted them in Virginia; because of this Virginia became an economic purpose. Virginia settled by men so Virginia dies out and this caused women to immigrate. Virginia was not a religious country and people ran away from Virginia because they were in debt and did not want to be a servant. The society in Virginia compared to Massachusetts are very different.

Virginia economics were based on a cash crop industry. The London Company bought Virginia they believed that there were metals in America so they sent a group of settlers to Jamestown. In 1619 the House of Burgesses was formed, which made Virginia a strong democracy. Jamestown became the first English colony. Later on the colony began to collapse due to disease and starvation but they expanded their colony with the arrival of tobacco, slaves and servants. Massachusetts established religious purpose: Puritans and separatists.

Since the puritans were really religious people in Massachusetts had to attend church, and some of the people were tied to a religion that they may not agree with. It is based on the Puritan worship and religion Satan and the Catholic Church was the worst for puritans. The Puritans established Harvard University they loved education. Religion was much less significant in Virginia unlike in Massachusetts. The puritans believed that science is religion because it explains God. They also believed that God does not like poor people and they did not like handicapped people.

Massachusetts also brings family; unlike Virginia who brought only men at first. Massachusetts also didn’t spread out like Virginia did. Massachusetts was a self governing colony Virginia and Massachusetts did not provide freedom for their people. The puritans in Massachusetts expected their people to follow their beliefs and they were very strict on you, even though Virginia was not a religious colony you still did not have freedom because you were either going to be a servant or a slave. The life expectancy in Massachusetts was much better than Virginia because in Virginia a lot of people died and suffered from diseases and salvation.