New England would be a better place to live if you were a Puritan, as the Puritans were in control of the church and government. As Puritans believed in literacy, New England developed a public education system earlier than the other colonies did. The first college in the American colonies, Harvard, was founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1636. People in the New England colonies also had a longer life span at first than settlers in the Chesapeake, which was largely covered in a malarial swamp. The New England colonies were also preferable for African American people, as there were freed slaves in these colonies, unlike in the Chesapeake and in the South. However, some of the New England colonies, particularly the Massachusetts Bay Colony, could be intolerant. The Puritans did not brook dissent and exiled people such as Anne Hutchinson who disagreed with their religious practices. 

There were some things for which the New England colonies were better suited. While all colonial regions, New England, middle, and southern, had valuable attributes, there were things for which New England was better suited.

The New England colonies had a climate that was cooler than the middle colonies and the southern colonies. The soil in New England was also rocky and not as fertile as the soil in the southern colonies. Thus, farming was done on a very limited basis in New England. New England, however, was closer to resources. There were many rivers that could provide waterpower for its industries. New England also had excellent harbors. Additionally, New England was near some very fertile fishing areas. Thus, it made sense for the New England colonies to focus on manufacturing, trade, and fishing. Because trade was so important, New England was also known for its shipbuilding.

There were some things for which New England was better suited. As a result, these activities were common in the region.