What is a good thesis statement for this prompt?

Question

Not that I will copy it or anything, but i would like to refer to it as an example. My group and I have created a thesis statement already but it seems so plain. So yeah, now I'm on here asking for help. The prompt is:

Although New England and the Chesapeake region were both settled largely by people of English origin, by 1900 the regions had evolved into two distinct societies.

Analyze why this difference in development occured.

Background info:

New England settlers Separatists

New England had "city upon a hill" mindset

Had the Congressional Church

Escaping religious persecution

Landed in Plymouth

Massachusetts

Came to start a new society

Chesapeake settlers were puritans

First city is Jamestown

Virginia

Indentured servants

Tobacco and sugar

Came for riches

Anglican Church

Answer 1

Because the reasons for settlement and goals in establishing the colonies were different.  One group wanted to separate from the church and keep with the government of England and vise versa for the other group ( you can figure out which!)

By the way, better question for history than anthro.

Answer 2

"Historical differences in reasons leading to colonization (religious, political, Utopian, etc.) and climatic differences (effecting agriculture and subsistence patterns) as well as relations with local Indian groups led to very different societies developing in the regions of New England and the Chesapeake Bay despite numerous similarities between the colonists."

Explain the commonalities, then the differences and finally the bulk of the paper will be how these differences caused such different outcomes.