Explain why there were no major witchcraft scares in the Chesapeake colonies and no uprising like Bacon's Rebellion in New England. Consider the possible social, economic, and religious causes of both phenomena.

There were major dissimilarities between the Chesapeake and New England colonies, because of the different reasons the colonists came to America. The New England colonists were pious Puritan yeoman living in self-governing farming communities. They came to America in search of religious freedom and therefore were devoted religious families. Their society was religious based family oriented, relying on fishing and farming on small scale, considering themselves to be “far more godly than all other colonists”. These facts explain why New England had the witchcraft scares and no rebellions like the Bacon's Rebellion. On the other hand, the Chesapeake colonists came to America in search of gold, silver, or anything else that could result into profit. They raised tobacco and corn for export to Europe and their crops prospered. Economy affected the overall population, made in majority of black slaves working the plantations, and therefore religion was less severe in the Chesapeake colonies. The main church was the Anglican Church and many people did not participate at all in the religious activities. These facts explain why Chesapeake had the Bacon's Rebellion and no witchcraft scares.

Sources:

Henretta, James A, and David Brody, America: A Concise History, Volume I: To
1877. 4th ed., Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2010, 43-63

Murrin , John M., Johnson, Paul E., McPherson, James M., Gerstle, Gary, Liberty,
Equality, Power: A History of the American People, Compact, Boston: Thomson
Wadsworth, 2008, 95