Virginia and Massachusetts varied greatly from many points of view. This is due partly to the groups of people who founded the colonies. Virginia was started by King James I mainly to become rich by finding gold and silver. Massachusetts however, was founded by a group of people who felt that the Church of England was becoming too much like the Catholic religion. They wanted to break away entirely from the church. Another main difference between them would be the geographic places in which they settled. Massachusetts survived in the rocky, cold environment of New England whereas Virginia thrived in the fertile, pleasant climate of the Southeast.
Religious motivation was the basis for the founding of Massachusetts. The pilgrims belonged to the puritan religion, which believed in predestination. The Puritan government consisted of strict religious practices and democracy. Pilgrims started the Mass Migration in which tens of thousands of people came to the New World. The Puritans denied themselves of earthly pleasures in order to guarantee their salvation. The Massachusetts colony did not tolerate any other religion and was harsh in punishing those who failed to comply. One example of the harsh punishment towards non-Pu
After governors made a large quantity of money, they began to enjoy the luxurious side of life. They diverted their attention towards style and fashion. They soon began to dress like the gentlemen of Europe. They built elaborate mansions and relaxed all day with the other wealthy citizens of their towns. It's not as if one could say they lost the value of hard work and dedication because they never really had to work. This is because slaves and indentured servants were responsible for the cultivation and harvesting of crops. Since Puritans were in total disagreement with luxurious, extravagant living, this sort of lifestyle did not exist in Massachusetts. Even if they wanted to, Puritans would not have been able to live similarly to the Virginian aristocrats. This is because Puritans worked the crops and businesses themselves.
ritan people would be Anne Hutchinson. She was well respected in Massachusetts because of her housekeeping skills. She believed, however, that God could be communicated with personally, therefore making the church unnecessary. She shared her views with people she communicated with on a daily basis. Once the church found out, they expelled her from the colony. This was not the only instance in which Massachusetts's religious society created trouble. In 1635, the Salem Witch Trials took the lives of twenty people.
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