New England has an abundance of forests, fast flowing rivers, rocky soil, cold winters, and a short growing season. Due to the rocky soil and short growing season, colonists farmed what was needed to feed themselves and their families, known as subsistence farming. They relied on the forests to build ships that would take them to sea where they could catch fish to eat and trade.
Their main sources of income were fishing, shipbuilding, and the sale of timber and rum. Trade of raw materials was another lesser source of income. The main port in New England was Boston, MA. |
The geography of the Mid-Atlantic Colonies was somewhat similar to the New England Colonies in relation to the rivers and harbors. The Mid-Atlantic Colonies had fast flowing rivers and an abundance of harbors which contributed to the large number of key ports in this region including Philadelphia, PA and New York, NY. The region experienced a moderate length growing season with fertile soil ideal for growing wheat and corn, known as staple crops.
Colonists relied on their large families, rather than slave labor to tend to their large farms. The main source of income for this region was trade. Both the New England and Southern colonies relied on the staple crops grown in the Mid-Atlantic region as a source of food. |
The Southern Colonies differed from the New England Colonies and Mid-Atlantic Colonies in many ways. Unlike the other two regions, the Southern Colonies were founded solely for economic and social advancement. Few religious motives applied in the Southern Colonies. Colonists were able to obtain large plots of land to build plantations which contributed to economic and social advancement, allowing for colonists to play a role in governmental procedure. Colonists who could not afford land in England would have a better chance of improving economic and social conditions by coming to the colonies, where land was cheap and abundant.
This region had a large number of rivers that allowed ships to travel deep into the interior parts of the colonies. This allowed for the development of large plantations. Due to the accessibility of goods few cities or towns developed. A long growing season and very fertile soil contributed to the growth of tobacco, indigo, and rice. Large plantations developed to grow these cash crops. As large plantations grew, plantation owners gained capital, or money, to purchase slaves to work the fields. The slave trade was a key economic factor in the Southern Colonies, without which the plantations could not have been profitable. The key port in the region was Charleston, SC. |