<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 class meant few consumers, and many industries never arose to a great extent. Most goods were bought by the rich landowners, of whom there weren't many. Thus instead of h…
