Plantations and Chesapeake Bay Life in the 17th Century

<Tab/>Most of the land in the Chesapeake region during the 1600s was part of a plantation, plantations which were a major player in the shaping of the society both economically and socially. <Tab/>Plantations slowed the growth of cities and hindered the development of an advanced economy. Few merchant class folk existed. Most people were either a plantation owners or workers. A lack of a middle …

…or have influence in society. <Tab/>While it is surely not a commendable practice, the Chesapeake society of the 1600s relied on cheap and free labor to make a profit. Tobacco costs, as mentioned, were low, and huge fields with lots of workers were the only way to grow it for a living. Plantations defined the growth and evolution of both the economical and social aspects of 17th century Chesapeake society.