They both had these similarities which makes them hard to distinguish in some ways but when you begin to look at the different religious views and how harsh the puritans were in Massachusetts you can tell more of a difference in how the colonies matured and why they developed at different rates. Massachusetts developed differently than Virginia because of the puritans the puritans were against slavery but, after the Salem Witch trials this changed and the racial hardening began. Both colonies had different types of agriculture because of where they were located geographically which is why Virginia was more had more of an advanced European agriculture which eventually Massachusetts had as well. Virginia and Massachusetts both end up being fully mature within ten years of each other which may be why some people tend to see the similarities as to how they developed but, the differences are what really set them apart and make them the colonies and later states that others looked up to so see what they should do