The colonies of virginia and massachusetts

The paper ” The Colonies of Virginia and Massachusetts” is an excellent example of a geography essay. A Comparison Between Virginia And Massachusetts Virginia and Massachusetts were part of the thirteen colonies that became independent from Great Britain as a result of the American Revolutionary War. Apart from this commonality, the two states have more contrasting features than similarities. The most striking contrast between the two are the main reasons for their colonization. Given the geographical features of Virginia which are located at the southern part of America with a climate conducive for farming, it was colonized by the English primarily for tobacco farming and other such ventures. Founded in 1607, Virginia became a haven for tobacco cultivation, and its economy flourished tremendously, which necessitated the importation of slaves from Africa. This eventually led to a sharp divide in Virginia’s social structure – African slaves at the bottom, small farmers and laborers in the middle, and at the top were the wealthy plantation owners. In contrast, Massachusetts, with climate and topographic conditions which are not conducive for farming, was colonized in 1620 by the English Puritans primarily for religious purposes. The resulting community from this colonization was religious-based and thus close-knit, although a flourishing economy was also established. Families were established with a significantly strong influence of the traditional English culture. There are actually many more contrasting features between these two states, in that while Virginia grew into a mainly commercial community with agricultural trading and other related economic activities, Massachusetts developed into a religious-centered, laid-back community that mirrored the traditional English communities.