The seventeenth century opened the door to different types of societies in the new world. As the colonies in North America started to expand, and became more populated, society was affected. Rapidly, different standards of life began to appear. Some women had hard lives, but others had wealth, prosperity, and happiness. The societies with the greatest impact in the colonies were The New England and Chesapeake Bay regions. Both colonies were formed by British families, who were seeking economic wealth and religious freedom. These 2 factors helped the colonies rise faster than any other settlements of the time. The New England and Chesapeake Bay colonies differed in many ways, that make them very important within the development of our society. Therefore, both groups were impacted by diseases, economic problems, and religious systems. First of all, both regions were especially affected by health problems. The Chesapeake area had increased the rates death within their region, “Diseases such as Malaria, Typhoid, and dysentery were one of the major causes of the rather short life of these women which were terrified affected by those diseases,” (Berkin 7). “Many of the Chesapeake women met their death before the age of 40,” (Berkin 4). Women’s resistance to viral disease was dangerously weakened during pregnancy, which made childbearing a major cause of death. In contrast, people in New England had a better and healthy life. Many factors such as clean water, and propitious climate helped prevent the spread of diseases. Second, the economic development played an important role in the expansion of the colonies. Both groups of women contributed to the economic development of the societies. During the seventeenth century, “Chesapeake women were expected to work in the field, the household and bear children,” (Berkin 13). “They worked in the plantation growing tobacco which helped raise the economy of the colony,” (Berkin 13).