proverbial “clean slate.”Chesapeake Bay Colony settlers had a changing intent. The first settlers in the area were strongly driven by spiritual aspects, though not to the extent of the Puritans. With the discovery of tobacco the potency of religion in colonists lives dwindled. In 1622 Peter Arundle said “any laborious honest man may in a short time become rich in this Country.” Accounts say that the Virginia Colony drew “street toughs and roughnecks fresh from the wars in Ireland.” This subculture of the Jacobean society was a violent one and they would employ this violence at a moments notice. This is where T.H. Breen’s essay received its name; the colonists were “Looking Out for Number One.” In this article Breen suggests that if the original settlers (the religious ones) were to have found a rocky area devoid of marketable goods they would have returned and not began the venture. They came and built large plantations and used large tracks of land. This extraneous use of land is further evidence that the colonists were there for material reasons. There were more indentured servants going to the Chesapeake colony because they were usually lower class citizens looking for a quick fortune. To an extent both colonies were driven by material reasons because the charter for the Massachusetts Colony was funded by profit seeking aristocrats. Both colonies are also alike in the fact that they were seen as the clean slate for their inhabitants. The Puritans clean slate to reform the Church of England was discussed above. There was also a clean slate feel to the Chesapeake colony. As previously stated many Virginia colonists needed a fresh start as far as monetarily. They could come to America as an indentured servant and in a matter of a few years be well on their way to having an insurmountable amount of money. Both of these colonies have had an impact on things today. Ne...
