Massachusetts Bay Colony Economy

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The British colonies of Massachusetts Bay, Pennsylvania, and Maryland hold many divergent and comparable facts in regards to their beginnings as colonies, troubling periods of growth, and their ultimate status in regards to their relationship within the British Empire. Religion played an important impetus to the start of many of these colonies, so that the respective religious groups may experience religious freedom. The economy was a vital component to the growth of the colony and greatly influenced the culture and the trajectory of the colony for centuries. The religious and economic aspect of these colonies ultimately influenced the relationship they each had other colonies, as well as with the British Empire.
The reasons for the founding …show more content…

Each of these three colonies pursued these goals differently, faced with their own set of unique challenges, and which culminated with varied results.
The growth and development of Massachusetts Bay saw the implementation of a unique form of government, a type of theocracy that saw the blending of Puritan ideology with government. Another aspect that differed in Massachusetts from Maryland or Pennsylvania was the high level of immigration of females and families (Bulliet, et al. 2001). This allowed Massachusetts to naturally increase its population rather than on relying upon immigration from Europe, minimizing the impact from other religious groups.
The expansion of Pennsylvania, while initially created as a haven for Quakers, enshrined a great toleration for people of all religious backgrounds in the colonial governing …show more content…

These divisions lead to very little cooperation between colonies, and at times, open warfare. Although the British Empire may have lumped the colonies together into one grouping of people, there were thirteen individual and unique colonies.
Massachusetts Bay saw all other religions as inferior to Puritanism. This doctrine of superiority caused Massachusetts to view the other colonies with disdain and created an antagonistic atmosphere.
Pennsylvania had initially rocky relationships with several of its neighboring colonies early in its history due to disputes over vague boundaries and overlapping colonial charters. Most notably was with Maryland to the south over a disagreement as to where the border between the two colonies actually laid. However once these disputes were settled, Pennsylvania saw peaceful relations amongst the surrounding colonies. Due to William Penn’s pacifist philosophy, he also ensured fair and friendly interactions with the local Native Americans, and did not allow land to be colonized without first being purchased from Native Americans. This behavior was not the norm throughout the history of North America (Kashatus

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