Greene: Pursuits of Happiness
In Pursuits of Happiness, Jack Greene compares the colonies of the Chesapeake region with that of New England, as well as Old England and earlier colonial settlements. Four major goals Greene attempts to assess and reach in his work are to evaluate prevailing assumptions regarding the significance of New England colonial development to other settlements, compare experiences of settlers in various other colonial establishments, determine the emergence of American culture and outline important points, and provide a historiography for further research. Greene proposes to create awareness for the diversity of early settlements and birth of American cultural patterns based not only on one particular region, but a combination of the four broad cultural regions of Chesapeake, New England, the Middle Colonies, and the Lower South. In reaching the goals he outlines, Greene focuses on social development, examines European and African settlement patterns, and attempts to digress from generalities .
Greene describes the dominating characteristics of both Chesapeake and New England settlements. Where Chesapeake was secular, materialistic, and competitive with a high mortality rate, New England was religious with a benign environment of kinship networks and low mortality contributing to rapid growth. New England’s patriarchal system also had strong social institutions contributing to development. Due to the agricultural foundations Chesapeake had a high demand for labor and their disproportionate population did not allow for strong social institutions, but strong individualism was prevalent. Although Greene claims those coming to Chesapeake colonies intended to model Old England, it was not possible due to the harsh environment which would not cooperate with their lofty intentions. The Chesapeake colonies adapted for not only personal gain but necessary survival. It is not realistic to compare two vastly different climates of settlement, Chesapeake and New England, and assume they will successfully model the same area of origin.
Greene negates the assumption that New England colonies were more representative of Old England. In fact, he supports the argument that Chesapeake is more representative due to the nature of settlement and settlers of Chesapeake seeking to improve their economic status and personal growth, striving for economic gain and growth, thereby making society more competitive. Also, the social ladder was not firmly established, one could easily move up and down based upon circumstances. New England colonies were more religious and conformist in their desire for personal perfection, religiously paternalistic with stronger kinship ties.
With the passage of time, the bonds of New England society seemed to deteriorate. Settlers contributed this deterioration to moral and social decline, as well as a rejection of founding goals. Reverse of Chesapeake, New England developed from community to individualism. As the population grew in New England individuals and extended families dispersed attempting to establish their own dream of success. New settlements, semi-independent and somewhat antagonistic of each other, developed. They also experienced a decline in the influence of clergy. Greene argues that it is not a decline of society as they seemed to believe, but mere change and adaptation to the passage of time. Although religion continued to dominate New England society, it did not hold the same preeminence as with original colonial settlement.
Although off to a difficult start, Chesapeake became a more cohesive colony developing an extensive social system. Greene claims a closer relationship between rural Britain and Chesapeake Bay. Important to development was the replacement of indentured servitude with black slaves. Slaves were a free labor source that did not cease after a period of time, and it was self perpetuating. Over time, slavery allowed for economic growth and stability of the region. Chesapeake experienced the growth of a small and powerful elite and the expansion of religious fervor, yet the same dream was driving colonial development, that of independent happiness and opportunity.
Greene establishes that New England was the exception and not the norm. With time, Chesapeake and the lower South struggled from political and socioeconomic strife just as the island and European colonies had. Chesapeake eventually became, at least to a degree, what New England began as. In comparison, New England ntinbecame more like the competitive and individualistic society of early Chesapeake. Rather than developing into vastly different regions, the two gradually became more alike contributing to the development of American culture. Greene’s approach is both analytical and informative, offering a logical comparison of New England and Chesapeake colonies to that of earlier colonies and Old England. However, little information is provided to determine the impact of early colonies upon the development of future American culture.
August 26 2005 10:02 pm | History and Ramblings
