Religion played an extremely important role in Puritan society, but not as much in Virginia. Furthermore, many farmers in Puritan society were yeoman farmers, while most farmers in Virginia were part of a plantation elite that had many indentured servants, and later chattel slavery. Additionally, both of these colonies had a form of representative government where land-owning males had the right to vote, however, town meetings in Puritan society were a form of direct representation, while the House of Burgess in Virginia was an elected representative.