Massachusetts Economic Basics: Massachusetts was a shipping hub for the western hemisphere, particularly in the ports of Boston and later, New York (Acquired by the British in 1664). These colonies were used by the British to export their manufactured goods to the south Atlantic system; this led to a small manufacturing sector in the northeast itself before 1750. Shipbuilding, fishing and whaling were also staples of the New England/ Massachusetts economy, as was Triangle Trade (Food, lumber to the Caribbean, gold and oranges to Britain, Manufactured goods to Massachusetts Colonies).
How these relate to Social and Political Developments, Massachusetts: Massachusetts Bay colonies were more independent from Britain once they had their own manufacturing sphere started, hence why they were more separatist from the British Empire when the revolution began. This is evidenced by the way the Massachusetts shipping industry bypassed the Molasses Act of 1733, bribing and smuggling their profitable commerce with the West Indies. This is why most Separatists were in the North during the revolution. Massachusetts also found that lumber reserves for the king’s navy were becoming an obstacle for the development for their own shipbuilding economy, which lead to more disregard of English law.
How these relate to Social and Political Developments, Virginia: Virginia would be less interested in a revolution inspired by freedom as they couldn’t count on the revolution retaining slavery. The large amounts of indentured servants in Virginia became the large amounts of yeoman farmers. There was still a near aristocracy of rich planters who ran the government, but there was far more social mobility in America than there was anywhere else in the world (for white males).
Ways in which they were similar, ways in which they were different:
To write an essay on the political-economic evolutions of the colonies, consider the transition of indentured servitude to slavery, the first divide between Northern economic systems and Southern ones, the planter elite versus the northern common man.
Compare and contrast the ways in which economic development affected politics in Massachusetts and Virginia in the period from 1607 to 1750.
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winnyt (student)
