Final answer:
Family life and women's roles in New England were shaped by Puritan values, emphasizing education and industry with women mainly handling domestic roles, while the Chesapeake Bay colonies, with their plantation economy, had different social structures and labor systems affecting women's roles.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the New England colonies, the patterns of family life and women's roles were significantly shaped by the Puritan beliefs. This religious group valued education, which was seen as necessary for understanding Scripture and partaking in the church. Therefore, education became a community responsibility, not just a family one. The industry was also important in New England, as idleness was viewed as a sign of the devil's influence. This contrasted with the South, where education was less centralized and the economy was more agrarian and reliant on enslaved labor - a system not as entrenched in New England.
Social attitudes towards women in New England were conservative due to religious beliefs. Women were primarily responsible for domestic duties but did not have the same autonomy or legal rights as men. In comparison, the Chesapeake Bay colonies had a different dynamic, with the economy focusing heavily on tobacco cultivation which relied on indentured servants and, increasingly, on enslaved Africans. This economic foundation led to distinct social structures and family patterns, where women's roles could vary more due to the labor demands on plantations.
Migration patterns from New England influenced the cultural spread across the United States, as settlers brought their Puritan-derived values westward. In political, social, and religious aspects, New England colonies valued a structured, community-focused system, while the Chesapeake Bay area developed in a way that led to a more fragmented society with different labor sources and social hierarchies.