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Compare And Contrast Virginia And Massachusetts Colonies

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The colonies of Massachusetts and Virginia were a start of the new world for England. These were founded by similar people but, with their strikingly differences, grew into separate political, economic and social structures. Both settlements arose from over-crowdedness in England: people wanted a better life. Virginia was settled by men who were single and looking for opportunities and wealth. They were part of the Anglican religion. Those in Massachusetts were puritans and looking for a place where they would be free from religious persecution. Wealthy people who could afford the boat journey and did not have to become indentured slaves went for a more settled life. In 1616 John Rolfe imported tobacco seeds to Virginia, as the plants needed long and hot humid seasons. The first people who were granted the right of possessing land authorized the people to cultivate worn out land and grow better crops, as tobacco depletes minerals and nutrients from the ground. The tobacco was sold for 5 to 10 times more in the 1620s, which was a major advantage for the sellers. The Massachusetts’ economy depended on shipbuilding, fishing and trading. This made it very stable. Chesapeake’s population has split 74% men and 10% women. “It’s suffered from stable foundations of little Commonwealth and so expanding the social volatility” stated in the Alan Taylor book. The right to trade was granted by the Massachusetts Bay Company in 1629, as the farming soil was of low quality and so only
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