Final answer:
The Northern colonies were settled by Puritans who valued education as a means to maintain a godly community and avoid idleness. The community schools were dedicated to the teaching of the Bible, with public education being a state responsibility in New England, contrasting with the Southern colonies where family was in charge of schooling.
Step-by-step explanation:
Location greatly influenced educational opportunities. The Northern colonies were settled by Puritans who lived in towns and communities relatively close to one another. These community schools were dedicated to teaching the Bible, reflecting the Puritans’ conviction that a working knowledge of Scripture was essential for church membership and a godly life. Settlers in New England, particularly in areas like Massachusetts and New Hampshire, placed a high value on education as part of their religious belief in avoiding idleness, which they equated with the devil’s work.
The Puritans established not only a religious community but also a culture where public education was considered the responsibility of the state, differing from the Southern colonies where education was mainly a family affair.
Puritan New England was fundamentally different from other areas such as the Chesapeake Bay colonies, where the focus was more on economic endeavors like tobacco farming. The Puritan focus on creating a new English Israel led to the development of towns centered around the church and the establishment of the Congregational Church. This backdrop laid the foundation for what would become significant religious, educational, and cultural differences between regions in the United States.