Our nation was built on ideals of freedom and prosperity for those settlers who wished to journey to a new land. Part of that prosperity was in preparing a home for themselves and their families. Homes tell rich stories about society and the values and principles within that society. The hovel-to-house home patterns that exist in the early stages of our historical development show the regional and social differences between the people settling the America’s. In studying the housing of our ancestors we can discover what types of resources were available at the time, the priorities of the time, family make-ups, permanence of people, and what type of skilled workers were available within a geographic zone. We also can learn about the hardships that may have been endured.When studying the housing differences between colonial New England and the Chesapeake Bay region of our country we discover a sharp contrast in the time frame within which people built and made substantial dwellings for themselves and their families. The Chesapeake Bay region remained largely made up of shanties, lean-tos, and rough simple cabins for nearly one century as opposed to New England where by the 1680’s many settlers had built strong dwellings of finished brick and timber. The reason for the differences between these two regions lies in the economics and family structures of the immigrants. In the Chesapeake region the men outnumbered the woman and disease killed many settlers in the area. Families were rendered unstable and stunted. The New England region, however, was rich with intact families that were hearty and healthy. Survival in New England was easier and the family unit was essential in strengthening the Puritan’s colonies. Also in the Chesapeake regions were the tobacco growers. A large stable dwelling was not the focus of their settlements. The number of slaves one could put to work and the amount of tobacco one could ...
