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Forests in the region provided a lot of
wood for making wood products.
This region had a longer growing season than
New England and soil rich enough to grow crops.
This region had good soil and an almost year-round growing season that was ideal for plantation crops. BUT, crops like tobacco ruined fertile soil in only a few years. As land wore out near the coast, planters began to move up the rivers to higher land.
This region had fertile river valleys such as the Hudson River Valley. There were also excellent harbors along the coast, where cities eventually grew.
The soil was rocky and many areas were not very good for farming. The farms that existed were small.
A lot of settlements grew up along rivers. Most
of the colonies were quite small compared to
colonies like Pennsylvania and the Carolinas.
Important natural resources included
the region’s dense forests and the sea.
13 Colonies
Daily Life
NEW ENGLAND COLONIES
MIDDLE COLONIES
SOUTHERN COLONIES
Town meetings were an important part of New England government. This was the way people often made decisions. They voted on laws and on matters that affected the whole community.
William Penn set up the Frame of Government of Pennsylvania which included a legislature. People in this colony had rights including freedom of religion, freedom of speech and trial by jury. These rights were common throughout the region of the Middle Colonies.
Although there were many towns in this region, town meetings like those of the New England region were not common. Each colony in the region had a governor, a council of advisors to advise him and a legislature.
Fishing, including whaling, became
an important economic activity.
Most of the people in this region made their living by farming.
People living in the Southern Colonies made
money by farming cash crops, like tobacco
and indigo, on large plantations and by making wood products.
Wealthy plantation owners held most of the political power. They passed laws relating to slavery called “Slave Codes.”
Many New Englanders also made money in trading.
Later, some colonists made a living by working in the villages. They became skilled at a particular trade, such as barrel making. Others worked as merchants in the various shops and inns.
Food crops were grown, especially corn, wheat, and rye. For this reason, this region became known as the "Breadbasket of the Colonies.”
People in the Middle Colonies also made money by
trading
raising livestock
mining
unskilled labor jobs
Fishing, whaling, and trading helped build the
shipbuilding industry. The forests of New
England supplied the necessary wood. Over time other kinds of goods were manufactured in New England.
Slavery played a big part in the economy
of the Southern Colonies.
Towns and villages were very important in the daily lives of New Englanders. Their social lives revolved around village events and attending church.
The daily life of people who lived here
included:
o Trading goods in the village
o Diverse lifestyles and religions
There were fewer towns and cities in this region. Plantations and farms were fairly spread out. The plantations were like small villages. On the plantation stood the planter's home, called the “big house,” a kitchen, a dairy, a smokehouse, shops for brick makers and carpenters, stables, barns, cabins, and often a school.
The Anglican Church, which was the Church of England, was the established church in this region. Quakers and Puritans were pushed out.