The Colonies Develop

The growth of the New England, Middle, and Southern Colonies

New England

The New England region included the colonies of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Hampshire.

New England

The first settlers of these colonies came to America seeking religious freedom. Religion was the center of the Puritan lifestyle that came to be known as the New England Way.

Vocabulary• majority rule-• charter-• apprentice-• meeting house- the building used for public and religious meetings• pilgrim-• Puritan-member of a religious group in the 1600’s

that believed the church needed to be more pure• Separatist- group of people in the 1600’s that wanted to break away

from the church• Mayflower Compact- agreement signed by the Pilgrims agreeing

that everyone will follow the laws that were made

In New England, farming was tough. The region endured long, cold winters and short mild summers. The soil was rocky, making it hard to grow crops.

Because of this, most people practiced subsistence farming. That is they produced just enough food for themselves and sometimes a little extra for trade in town

Climate and Geography

Economy and ResourcesNew England’s economy was largely dependent on the ocean. Fishing was most important to the New England economy.

Whaling, trapping, shipbuilding, and logging were important also. Many New England shippers grew wealthy buying slaves in return for rum, and selling the slaves to the West Indies in return for molasses.

Triangular Trade

The triangular trade is the name given to a trading route with three stops. This trade helped bring slavery to America and earn New England huge profits.

For example, a ship might leave New England with a cargo of rum and iron. In Africa the captain would trade his cargo for slaves. Slaves then endured the horrible Middle Passage to the West Indies, where they were exchanged for sugar and molasses. Traders then took the sugar and molasses back to New England to make the rum that will start the whole process over again.

Important People John Winthrop

Roger Williams

Squanto

Important People

Anne Hutchinson-

Thomas Hooker-

The Middle Colonies

The four Middle Colonies were New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

Vocabulary

• proprietor-• opportunity cost-• religious tolerance-• immigrant-• militia-• indentured servant-• artisan-• cash crop-

Climate and GeographyThe climate in the Middle Colonies was temperate, with warm summers and cold winters. The land included coastal plains, the piedmont with its rolling hills, and the mountains. The climate and land were ideal for agriculture. This area had good coastal harbors for shipping.

Economy and ResourcesThese colonies were known as the “breadbasket” because of the large amounts of barley, wheat, oats, and rye that were grown there. These were cash crops.

The Middle Colonies enjoyed a successful economy. Big cities such as New York and Philadelphia were major shipping hubs. Artisans such as blacksmiths, silversmiths, cobblers andmilliners contributed to the economy of these cities.

A Diverse Region

The people who settled the Middle Colonies represented many cultures and religions.

One important group, the Quakers, started the colony of Pennsylvania. Others seeking religious freedom soon followed.

Settlements of French, Dutch, German, Swedes, Danes, Finns, Scots, Irish and English spread throughout the Middle Colonies

A Climate of ToleranceWhile the English Puritans dominated life in the New England colonies, many different groups contributed to the culture of the Middle Colonies

Because of the great number of different groups, no single group could dominate the others. Thus, the region’s diversity helped create a climate of tolerance.

Some of the region’s religious groups, such as the Quakers in Pennsylvania, also helped promote tolerance and equality.

Important People

William Penn

Benjamin Franklin

The Southern Colonies

The five Southern Colonies were Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Vocabulary

• indigo-• interdependence-• import-• export-• plantation-• debtors-• tenant farmer- a person who farms the land of another and pays rent with cash or with a portion of the produce.

The Southern colonies enjoyed a warm climate with hot summers and mild winters. Geography ranged from the coastal plains in the east to the piedmont farther inland. The westernmost regions were mountainous. The soil was perfect for farming and the growing season was longer than any other region.

Climate and Geography

Economy and Resources

The Southern economy was almost entirely based on farming

Tobacco, rice, cotton, indigo, and sugarcane were cash crops. Crops were grown on large plantations where slaves and indentured servants worked the land. The crops were exported to Europe.

Plantations were self-sufficient and large cities like those in the North were rare in the Southern Colonies.

Important People

James Oglethorpe

George Calvert

The Turn to Slavery

As the plantation economy continued to grow, planters began having difficulty finding enough laborers to work their plantations.

At first, they turned to European indentured servants to work the fields. However, this did not last for long. With large amounts of cheap land available in America, it was easy for white men to save enough money to buy land and start their own farms.

The Turn to Slavery

Planters then tried to force American Indians to work for them, but European diseases caused many of the Indians to die. Those who survived usually knew the land well enough to run away.

To meet their labor needs, the planters finally turned to enslaved Africans. As a result, the population of people of African descent began to grow. By 1750, there were 235,000 enslaved Africans in America.