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European Exploration and Colonization
The history of the United States relates to the history of the European settlement and in particular the history of the common thirteen colonies of Britain up to 1776. This was the time when independence was finally declared. This early British colonies in the United States each had unique cultural characteristics that differentiated them from one another. They had differences in religious practices, economic practices, lifestyles and relationship with both Britain and other colonies. The early British colonies were geographically divided into three areas: New England, comprising of countries such as Plymouth, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island; Mid-Atlantic, which included regions such as New Sweden/Delaware, New Jersey, New Amsterdam/New York, and Pennsylvania; and Southern colonies that included Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
A. Cultural Characteristics
I) New England colony: Connecticut
Generally, all the settlers in the New England colonies had the desire to maintain unity in their families and practice their own religion. These people preferred not to depend on others extensively as they enjoyed doing most things by themselves. A small group of these people however, came to New England with the major intention of making more money.
Connecticut has been noted to be the land of steady characters. Currently, the region is still prudent and conservative in character. They are moderate in politics, and have refrained social lifestyles, with a majority of the people in the area having a tendency to marry less than any other state in New England (Julia, 2009). However, the main trait that stands out clearly is that the Connecticut state in the New England colony was a leader in economic practices. For instance, the state was known to be the leader in industrial achievement especially in financial terms. This is because it was highly involved in technological development as the state’s defense.
To date, economic practice can be proved by the variety of machine shops and factories, the largest insurance companies located in Hartford, and the ever-expanding industrial complexes of united technologies in East Hartford. In addition, these factories were and are still known to be great producers of weapons, sewing machines, jet engines, helicopters and motors among other products. The state was also noted to be the second largest producer of agricultural products such as eggs, pears, and mushrooms and oyster crop. Thus, the income from the farm and industries still accounts for the high economic life, growth and development in the state.
Connecticut’s culture in lifestyle is also unique in that it is noted as the third smallest state in the union and densely populated. According to research, the state had highest per capita income in the country with the lowest rates of unemployment for a good number of years. Nevertheless, it also experienced high poverty levels in both rural and urban areas. For instance, the most affected cities were Hartford and New Haven.
II) Mid-Atlantic colony: Pennsylvania
In the Mid-Atlantic colony, the people were interested in finding their own religious practices and making money, in particular the state of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania granted interested settlers social and political equality, as well as tolerance of religion (Glass, 2009). Because of freedom of religion and equality in social and political status, Pennsylvania managed to become the fastest developing and one of the most significant colonies in British America.
Colonial Pennsylvania had an influential lifestyle compared to its neighboring colonies. For instance, it was noted to be a leading state in innovation and invention, as well as a state of firsts, filled with individuals that were outgoing and did not shy away from leadership roles.
III) Southern colony: Georgia
Most of the Southern colonies settled in the American market with main intention of making money that was readily available in the market. Georgia was born in 1733 as the last of the common thirteen colonies established in British America with the lowest rates of population. This is because most of the people were affected by the occurrence of malaria and typhoid diseases, which claimed a good number of people. According to Phinizy, the centers that had high population rates within Georgia included Savannah and Augusta, which are located along the Savannah River, close to the border with South Carolina (2011).
Georgia’s culture had a religious and ethnical diversity as it had immigration ties with many parts of Europe, enabling it allow religious freedom. with exception of Catholicism. In colonial Georgia, the act of slavery was not a part of the culture. The small coastal cities that were dominated by Scottish highlanders were highly opposed to slavery.
B. Similarities and Differences in the Cultural Characteristics
According to different studies, all these colonies had the major intention of making money that was readily available in the British-American market. Thus, each colony settled ready to utilize the readily available resources in the country, majoring mostly in agriculture and production. For instance, Connecticut was good at industrial and farm production, while Pennsylvania was good at agricultural production. Georgia on the other hand majored in forestry, hence its status as the leading state in timber production (Phinizy, 2011).
However, these colonies had their own unique cultures especially in religious matters. For instance, Pennsylvanian citizens had experienced religious and social oppression in England, making them move to the new world with high hopes of developing a colony founded on religious beliefs. This was very different from colonial Georgia where they experienced total freedom of religion. The state had a lot of religious diversity, with Protestants being the leading religion, especially such groups as Lutheran, Anglican, and Moravians among others.
Concerning their cultural lifestyle, Connecticut was noted to be in the lead, characterized by high standards of living because of its low rates of unemployment, while Pennsylvania was the leading state in terms of creativity and innovation.
Reference
Glass, J. (2009). The Pennsylvania culture region: a view from the barn. Indiana: UMI Research Press.
Julia, D. (2009).Colonial Connecticut. New York, NY: BiblioBazaar.
Phinizy, H. (2011).Forty Years of Diversity: Essays on Colonial Georgia. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press.
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