Chapter in Perspective

As plantation societies took shape in the South, colonies of a much different character were developing in New England, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Northern colonial societies constitute a dramatic counterpoint to the fragile, fragmented cultures of the Chesapeake, the Carolinas, and the Caribbean. The southern colonies were socially volatile and politically unstable, dominated by the quest for profit and divided by sharp racial and class antagonisms. To the north, a healthier climate, a different economic base, and strong religious influences contributed to the emergence of more coherent societies.