The difference between New England colonies and the Chesapeake colonies is that they had very different ideas to why they settled. Chesapeake came to North America with 144 men and boys, and they did not come to North America to practice religion, but they were to expand their profits growing tabaco and to find gold. New England colonies focused on the pursuing religious beliefs and the Congregational churched decided what was best. While the Chesapeake colonized Maryland and Virginia, while the New England colonized Main, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Vermont. They both had different political differences, while the Chesapeake modeled their government and created the House of Burgesses, the New England had a specific people represent them.
Benjamin Franklin was devoted to politics, science and deism. He believed that “an individual’s moral compass, leading to good works and actions – is more important than strict church doctrines.” He was openminded and was always open for new ideas. When it comes to Jonathan Edwards, he is closed minded and with his best-known sermons, he enlists fear, and to make sure that those who follow do not “sin”. Both Benjamin Franklin and Jonathan Edwards wrote astonishing books with a variety of subjects. Most religious leaders had one thing in common and that was to enlist fear to the people.
I think the threat of hell changed the character of America. It created fear and it made those who believed in Christianity that they would go to tell, if they were to sin. The Great Awakening split between the “New Lights” and the “Old Lights”. Those with the “New Light” were influenced by James Davenport to burn books and clothing, but some “Old Light” believed he was going too far. While in Massachusetts, Johnathan Edwards wrote and preached, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”, with that he described how awful hell would be. To this very day, in some religious households, “hell” is feared. Christians, Catholics, Mormons, all enlist fear in their believers, to be good and follow faith and not sin or else you will go to hell.
