“Economic issues not religion determined the

development of the English colonies in North

America”
This statement is partially true. Economic issues definitely

determined the development of early English colonies but there were

religious undertone that also affected the course that the colonies took in

their development. Religion may have not directly affected the

development but certainly played a part.

First take a look at some Northern colonies like Massachusetts and

Rhode Island. These colonies were founded on poor farmland but had

great natural harbors. This led to cities and many different professions.

These thing led colonies becoming very representative and stable

colonies.

Religion also played a part in the development. This role is not

immediately visible but it is there. In both Massachusetts and Rhode

Island the founders were mainly Puritan. This almost instantly rules out

the possibility of slaves in the north because the Puritans believe that it is

a luxury and that it would make them lazy. To the Puritans laziness was a

sin. The Puritans were also a very hard working people and without them

the Northern Colonies might not have been as prosperous as they

eventually turned out to be. The politics of the north were probably

affected by the views of the Puritans.

The Southern Colonies like Virginia and Mar yland developed in a

ver y different way than that of the Northern colonies. They had a few rich,

who ran politics where the north was more democratic, and a lot of poor

people. Their economy relied on one or two sources of income and was

much more fragile than that of the Northern colonies. The Southern

colonies like Virginia and Maryland had no large cities and used many

slaves.

Before the plantation owners started using African slaves the

owners uses indentured servitude. This answer to the labor shortage failed

because the work force was mainly white, Christian men who eventually

demanded rights. This led to an uprising called Bacons Rebellion. So in

short, if the indentured servants were not white, Christians then they

would not have revolted and the owners would have never had to use

Africa slaves for work on the plantations. Without religion the economy of

the south would have never been based on African slaves.

For the North more than South religion played a role. Economic

issues definitely directly influenced the development and final product of

the colonies but the economic issues were brought about by the religious

views of the colonists.