List of New England Colonies:
New Hampshire
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Connecticut
13 Colonies
New England Colonies
Climate and Geography
New England endured bitterly cold winters and mild summers. Land was flat close to the coastline but became hilly and mountainous farther inland. Soil was generally rocky, making farming difficult.
Natural resources:
- fish
- whales
- trees
- furs
- natural harbors
Economy
Farming was hard for the people in New England. This is because the growing season was shorter and the soil wasn't good for growing. They mostly had family farms and not big plantations. Farmers sold their crops to shopkeepers who had enough customers to make a living. The coast of New England was useful to their economy. It was a prime spot for whaling and also a good spot for fishing mackerel, halibut, cod, herrings and other fish that they traded. New England also had forests from which people got timber-which they also traded. Merchants from New England grew rich from exporting these goods and they started bringing their ships.
Culture and Society
Mostly Puritans lived in New England. They were in favor of education and the literacy rate within the New England colonists. They were very modest. They encouraged hard work and honesty. There was no dancing or playing games allowed.
Middle Colonies
List of Middle Colonies:
New York
Pennsylvania
Delaware
New Jersey
Climate and Geography
The growing season here was longer than in New England and they had richer soil. This means they were able to grow more food on farms. They grew what are called "cash crops". What they grew on farms they used to feed their own population as well as to trade. They had natural harbors that were good for trading.
Natural resources:
- fruits
- grains
- vegetables
- whales
- harbors
- fur
- timber
Economy
They traded crops including fruits, vegetables, grains, bread, furs, and whale oil. They had natural harbors that were important to their economy. The people were able to export a lot of goods from these harbors. In return they imported goods from England. They did not rely on a large slave population. Only about 7% of the population was enslaved.
Culture and Society
The Quakers condemned slavery. They thought it was immoral and went against Christian principles. The population on the Middle Colonies was very diverse. There were many different groups of immigrants that came to the Middle Colonies. They practiced religious tolerance. This was because there were many different religious groups and so in order to live together they had to accept/tolerate each other.
Southern Colonies
List of Southern Colonies:
Maryland
Virginia
North Carolina
South Carolina
Georgia
Climate and Geography
In the South the growing season was almost year-round. The soil was also perfect for growing crops like rice and tobacco. There were lots of natural waterways which allowed ships to arrive at the colonies. The summers were very hot and humid.
Natural resources:
- cotton
- tobacco
- rice
- coffee
- sugar cane
Economy
The Southern Colonies had many slaves. Slaves worked on the plantations (large farms). Cash crops were grown to trade. These crops included tobacco, cotton, and rice. Their economy depended on enslaving Africans to work on their farms. They did not have to pay the slaves to work and it was hard labor. The farm owners were able to make a lot of money.
Culture and Society
Religion was very important. There were different religions among the colonies. The people were very conservative. The church was important to people's lives. Social rank was based on how much land you owned and how many slaves you had. The people there shared a white supremacist ideology. There was a small group of people who owned all the land. They were very wealthy farm owners. This was different from the New England colonies where the wealth was more evenly distributed.