Compare and Contrast: Massachusetts Bay and Virginia.
Although the Massachusetts Bay Colony, settled by Puritans, and the Virginia Colony, settled by gentlemen explorers, were largely inhabited by people of English origin, the two regions had evolved into two distinct societies. The differences between the two societies are as follows: Massachusetts Bay was built upon reasons of religious freedom whereas Virginia Colony was solely for immediate profit; urban and family life in Massachusetts was exceptionally stable compared to the recklessness and possibility for communal dispute of Virginia; the gender imbalance that existed in Colonial Virginia seemed not to be a factor in Massachusetts Bay. Although these settlements had their distinct variations, there is also a similarity that they share: both possessed a stake in society characteristic that allowed for only a select few to seize authority. .
All Puritans were connected by at least one quality: that is their confidence in themselves, their principles, and in their duty to humanity. These means of living were certainly not acceptable in England; therefore Puritans were forced to immigrate to a land where they could freely practice their religious and cultural values. In Massachusetts Bay, the Puritans "worked for mutual salvation" where it was not about the individual, but rather the betterment of the entire community. This view, on the exterior, provided for a place that was to prosper peacefully and unperturbed. In Virginia, the outlook was entirely contradictory in that their "orientation was almost wholly commercial from the beginning". Because Virginia was founded by joint-stock companies, their goal was to make a quick and essentially effortless profit. Unfortunately the colonists were not so lucky as they succumbed to numerous disappointments due to their lack of preparation.
In Massachusetts Bay, family life was well developed because of the tight-knit, religious values implemented by the Puritans.
