The Life of New England and Southern Colonies.
The New England and Southern Colonies were both settled by the English. By 1700, the regions had evolved into two very distinct societies. The motivations of the two colonies were very different, and as a result the two colonies diverged in their goals. The Southern colonists were aiming for economic prosperity, while New England colonists were focused on religious freedom. The one thing these two colonies had in common was that they were of the same race.
The main difference between the Southern and New England colonies, in their political views, were their choice of government. New England had a charter government, where the people have a voice in the decisions made by the government. On the other hand, the Southern colonies were based on a royal government, where a governor governed the state and the people chose council named by the king, and an elected assembly. New England was colonized for freedom of political thought, and the first government of New England was formed on board of the Mayflower. They wanted a distinct society, where they could show their homeland how a country should be run. They were also big on education, and established a tax-supported school system. But, in the Southern colonies children's parents, or tutors, taught them at home. Most children in the South received little formal education.
The economic status between the South and New England were just as different as their political views. In New England colonies there were London merchants, who were made up of Puritan refugees from persecution. New England also established a commercial economy. Most people had small farms, but shipbuilding and fishing were very important industries. Molasses was brought from the West Indies to make rum. This, and manufactured goods, were traded for slaves (formally known as the triangular trade). The Southern colonies, on the other hand, were an agrarian economy.
