American History

Settlers in the English colonies on the American continent had diverse cultural, religious and economic backgrounds that influenced growth and development. Some moved to the colonies to escape religious persecution, others to start life anew after paying off their debts while a significant number were attracted by the prospect of virgin lands and new adventure. The underlying factor that influenced socio-political structures, precipitated internal conflicts and determined general development was wealth relations or the differences between the have and the havenots.

Settlers in the New England, Chesapeake, and the Middle Colonies immigrated to the new colonies in search of a better life with all their possessions. They established trading posts and conducted business in the towns and cities they built. British settlers in the southern colonies were largely indentured servants with little or no wealth. With limited resources and a weak financial base, the southern states developed more slowly than the northern regions. Most southerners were limited in their ability to generate wealth because they lacked resources and even though some of them became wealthy plantation owners, they became destitute because of persistent floods and drought.

National assemblys were modeled such that the dominant community (usually the richer one) controlled all the state organs and national resources. To ensure that the southern economy remained afloat, the white settlers passed laws perpetually enslaving the black slave community. Internal dissent developed because of harsh laws that pitted blacks against white slave owners. In New England and Chesapeake, the wealthy elite passed laws encouraging religious intolerance to keep the other people in servitude. These laws were responsible for social tensions that erupted in skirmishes and riots.

In conclusion, the ownership of wealth (or the lack of it) determined the pace of development in the colonies. In an attempt to entrench themselves in power, the propertied class passed laws in their favor, which later contributed to class struggles and racial tensions. Political structures reflected the reality on the ground by alienating the have-nots from the decision making process and reserving leadership positions for the wealthy elite.