Compare And Contrast The Thirteen Colonies

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The thirteen colonies are extremely important to America’s history. Many of the colonists came for similar reasons such as new opportunities, wealth, and religious freedom. Despite these similarities, there are a few distinct differences between each colony. These differences are the factors that make it or break it when deciding which colony I would have chosen to live in back then.
I would have chosen to live in the Pennsylvania colony during this time. The Quakers established the Pennsylvania colony after suffering and being severely persecuted in England due to their opposition to the Church of England. Therefore, the Quakers established a liberal government in their colony where religious freedom was granted. Since religion was so controversial …show more content…

The Puritans settled this colony and had strict religious beliefs and rules and harsh punishments as well. Church was mandatory and missing it could result in a fine. The church was also patrolled by a man who held a long pole; one end consisted of feathers used to tickle the chins of old men who fell asleep and the other end was a hard wooden knob to alert children who giggled or slept. The Puritans believed that God decided each person’s fate at birth and nothing could be done to change it. Hangings and whippings were common punishments in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In addition, the church held almost all of the power. Even though ministers were not allowed to hold political office, the clergy made the majority of the important decisions. Lastly, the Massachusetts Bay Colony was truly a man’s world. Women were not included in town meetings or decision making. They were to be patient, prudent, silent, fruitful, etc. The overall attitude of the Puritans seems to be that they are better than everyone else. They considered themselves “a model of Christian Charity” and stated their purpose to be “as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us.” These traits seem to be characteristic of the oppressive ways of England that many colonists were trying to be free from. As a woman who enjoys her rights and freedoms, I would not want to live in the Massachusetts Bay

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