This data shows that the Chesapeake colonies would consist of many individuals working to benefit themselves, rather than the colony. Captain John Smith explained how on the voyage to Virginia, there was only talk about how each person was going to strike gold and become wealthy, rather than create a successful colony. Differences between the ideas of people traveling to the Chesapeake region often led to disputes which is an example of a lack of unity and the inability of the settlers to want to work toward the bigger picture of a united colony.
The kinds of governments in each region caused the New England colonies to have laws based on religion that they created themselves and followed to please God, while the colonies in the Chesapeake area were often unhappy with their government who often pleased the rich and ignored the needs of the poor. John Winthrop set a foundation for the political development of the Massachusetts Bay Colony by expressing the fact that God wanted the settlers to be united and always cooperate under the laws they would create based on their religious views. The Articles of Agreement for Massachusetts stated that there would be rich and poor families, relative economic equality, and a community based on religion, all by "God's Grace". Since the articles are all based on religion, it is obvious that the colonists rarely went against them because going against them, would mean going against God. This created a tight knit, safe and united community. In the Chesapeake region, colonists were often unhappy with their government. Since the Chesapeake region was very susceptible to invasions due to its location, there was always a need for men to defend the frontier. Governor Berkeley expressed this idea to the King regarding a potential war with the Dutch saying that we had "more miles to defend than we have men of trust to defend them". The lack of men willing to defend the colony is an example of their dislike toward the government.
