In the 1600s, many English people migrated to the New World. Some settled in what became known as New England and some in a region called the Chesapeake. Even though those regions were settled by the same kind of people, they developed into two distinct societies by 1700. New England became composed of many close and religious towns with large families. In the Chesapeake region, settlements were widely spread and had short-lived, small families that spent much of their time concentrating on obtaining wealth.
One reason for the difference in the societies is that the migrants that traveled to New England were Puritans. These Puritans organized the New England colonies in a way that was based on their religion. Puritans believed that church and government should work together to promote holiness and help people to succeed both materially and spiritually (Cooke 347). A man named John Winthrop was the leader of the Puritans who came to America. He had many ideas for his society that he would create in America that showed the effect religion had on Puritan society. On the ship to the Americas, he wrote his plans in a sermon (internet). "We must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us, so that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause him to withdraw his present help from us ." (Document A). Winthrop wanted all the settlers of New England to live in unity.
Religion is also shown to have an affect on New Englanders' lives in the Wage and Price Regulations in Connecticut. It says, " .in the interim recommends that all tradesmen and laborers consider the religious end of their callings, which is that receiving such moderate profit as may enable them to serve God- (Document E). When they are talking about the money they want, they say they should use it to enrich the lives of others and serve God as best as they can.