How Did Geography Influence The Development Of The British Colonies

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One may argue the statement that “Geography was the primary factor in shaping the development of the British colonies in North America” is not true for a handful of reasons. Though New England and Virginia were founded by people of the same country and in different regions, the successes and failures of the colonies prove that, overall, the organization and amount of corruption or argument a colony had within it were more crucial to survival than the geographic surroundings. In the 1600s, the success of British colonies was based on the structure and organization of the colony rather than the geography of the region they settled in. If a colony’s ability to survive was based on the factor of geography alone, one would expect a colony of a warmer climate would have an advantage over a colony in a bitterly cold climate; however this proves untrue. The colonies of New England suffered terribly cold winters, yet their rates …show more content…

The colonists of New England had great trust in their leaders of the time, and because there was little or no conflict with them, they could focus more on developing the colonies, growing crops, and making money. In addition to this, clergies held absolutely no political power, therefore corruption within the church and the government was not to be found. Virginian colonists, on the other hand, were almost combative to their leaders. They constantly questioned the authority of government figures because they were most often elites who did not consider the common person in their decisions. Bacon’s Rebellion is an excellent example of the amount leaders in the region provoked citizens, as well as the amount of discord which could be found in Virginia. Events such as the burning down of Jamestown distracted Virginians from focusing on ways to steady their economy and prevent famine within their

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