Final answer:
The characteristic common to the Massachusetts Bay and Connecticut colonies was that ordinary farmers had more political power than most Chesapeake men. Unlike other colonies, these were not controlled by a landholding aristocracy but by university-trained ministers and Puritans. Their economy was not based on a single-crop system.
Step-by-step explanation:
Characteristic of both the Massachusetts Bay and Connecticut colonies was the notion that ordinary farmers had more political power than most Chesapeake men. Both colonies were primarily settled by Puritan families in the 1630s with a religious orientation from the start. However, religious toleration was not widespread in these colonies, but rather, they were oriented towards the promotion of their specific Protestant Puritan Christianity. Instead of being controlled by a landholding aristocracy, these colonies were led by university-trained ministers and well-to-do Puritans, who constituted the colony's governing body.
Their economies were not anchored on a single-crop system as observed in some other colonies but were more diversified. The Puritans engaged in various forms of work ranging from farming to maritime activities.
In conclusion, ordinary farmers in the Massachusetts Bay and Connecticut colonies had more political power than their counterparts in Chesapeake, owing to the distinct social and political structure of the New England colonies grounded in Puritan beliefs.
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