Final answer:
In the 17th century, New England settlers, like the Puritans, valued religious freedom and self-governance while settlers in the Chesapeake region prioritized economic freedom, which led to the establishment and justification of slavery as a key part of their economy.
Step-by-step explanation:
Early 17th Century New England and Chesapeake Settler Conceptions of Freedom
In the early seventeenth century, English settlers arrived in the regions that would become the New England and Chesapeake colonies, each with distinct visions of freedom. In New England, the Puritans and Pilgrims sought to create a society based on religious freedom and purifying the Church of England, which was manifested in the creation of colonies such as Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The Puritan New England valued freedom as the ability to worship without persecution, as well as an independent spirit evident in early self-governing structures like the New England Confederation.
Meanwhile, the Chesapeake colonies, particularly in Virginia and Maryland, were initially more commercially oriented, with a focus on tobacco farming. Here, freedom meant economic opportunity, and eventually, the ownership of land and slaves became synonymous with wealth and autonomy. Both regions also had to negotiate their conceptions of freedom within the context of relationships with Native Americans and with their status as colonies under British rule. Over time, these varied conceptions of freedom laid the groundwork for future conflicts and the eventual struggle for independence from Britain.
While religious freedom was primary in New England, economic freedom drove the Chesapeake colonies, leading to the establishment of slavery as a legal institution, a dark counterpart to their vision of freedom. The institution of slavery was justified through laws that created a stark contrast between the liberties of Europeans and the enslavement of Africans and African-Americans, creating a paradox at the heart of colonial freedom.