NEW ENGLAND AND THE MIDDLE COLONIES

Chapter 3 Section 2

NEW ENGLAND’S ECONOMY New England’s economy was very diverse

Agriculture- subsistence farming=grew corn, beans, peas, pumpkins, squash, turnips, barley, oats, and rye Apples, cranberries, blackberries, and strawberries Livestock= cows, horses, sheep, and pigs

Fishing- Grand Banks=region of Atlantic Ocean where Gulf Stream and North Atlantic meet, produces plankton= food supply for fish and whales Fish= cod, mackerel, halibut, and herring Whales=used blubber for making candles, lamp oil,

ambergris (perfume), and bones (buttons and combs).

NEW ENGLAND FARM

COLONIAL FISHING

NEW ENGLAND’S ECONOMY Lumbering in NE=dense forests+waterfalls

(powered sawmills)= development of lumber industry Lumber was used for furniture, doorframes, spinning

wheels, construction materials, barrels, and shipbuilding English merchants bought ships from New

England=30%-50% cheaper

SAWMILL

WOODEN BARRELS

COLONIAL SHIPBUILDING

LIFE IN NEW ENGLAND’S TOWNS New England’s social life centered around the

town Puritans believed that should come together to

form church covenants Agreements to worship together

Land was given to groups of Puritans to form towns Towns determined how people were governed

Town meetings=local gov’t Passed laws and elected officials

LIFE IN NEW ENGLAND’S TOWNS Selectmen- men chosen to manage town affairs,

elected annually Appointed other town officials: clerks, constables,

and justices Town meetings helped the people establish the

rights to govern themselves

TRIANGULAR TRADE

TRIANGULAR TRADE

NEW URBAN SOCIETY A new society developed with distinct social

classes Wealthy Merchants=controlled trade= >5% of

pop. Artisans and their families= made nearly ½ of

pop. Carpenters, masons, glassmakers, bakers, etc.

People w/o skills or property Worked at harbors, servants, washed clothes, cleaning

houses, grooming horses=30% pop. Enslaved Africans=b/w 10% and 20% of pop.

NEW URBAN SOCIETY Rapid development of cities caused many

problems Overcrowding, crime, pollution, and epidemics

Gov’ts established offices to deal with problems

SOCIETY IN THE MIDDLE COLONIES Middle Colonies=PA, NY, NJ, and DE= most

fertile farmland in North America Produced surplus of crops=$

Long growing seasons Grew rye, oats, barley, potatoes, and wheat($ crop)

Growth of Middle Colonies Sold wheat and flour to Carribean

Had 3 rivers that led to Middle Colonies interior Allowed for trade

Cities grew where rivers led to Atlantic Ocean (NYC and Philadelphia)

WHEAT

COLONIAL PHILADELPHIA

SOCIETY IN THE MIDDLE COLONIES Wheat Boom

B/W the years 1720-1770= wheat prices doubled Increase in demand=increase in pop.

Changed society Farmers hired immigrants to work Entrepreneurs risked money on land, equipment, and

supplies=sold to immigrants to make profit Capitalists invested money in new businesses

• Gristmills=produced flour• Glass and Pottery

Social Classes of M.C.= 1st Wealthy Entrepreneurs 2nd farmers 3rd landless workers=rented their land