1. The Southern Colonies

2. Southern Colonies Geography
Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia
The colonies share a coastal area called Tidewater and rolling hills called the Piedmont to the west
Climate is warm and humid, perfect for farming
Long growing seasons lead to growth of slavery

3. Slaves Grow and Harvest Tobacco
Virginia Grows
By the 1670s, Virginia’s population has increased significantly
More land is available to grow tobacco due to Indian deaths
Wealthy farmers own most of the fertile land, while poor farmers struggle
Slaves Grow and Harvest Tobacco

4. Bacon’s Rebellion Poor farmers move inland to find better land
Fighting broke out between the poor farmers and the Native Americans
The farmers demand that the governor of Virginia take action: he did nothing due to a profitable trade with NA for fur
Nathaniel Bacon organizes the farmers and attacks the NA; governor declares them rebels and they eventually burn down Jamestown
Bacon became sick and died; his rebellion showed that the gov. could not stop people from moving west

5. Nathaniel Bacon Confronts Virginia’s Governor
Bacon’s Rebellion
Nathaniel Bacon Confronts Virginia’s Governor

7. Religious Toleration in Maryland
King Charles I grants a charter for a colony that acts as a safe haven for Catholics
Lord Baltimore founds Maryland and establishes the Act of Toleration in 1649
All Christians were welcome and all Christian males could vote
Lord Baltimore

8. The Carolinas
In 1663, Charles II granted a charter for Carolina to be created
The north developed slowly and settlers lived on small farms with no waterways
The south developed quickly where slaves worked to grow sugar and rice
These two reasons eventually lead to Carolina splitting into two: North Carolina and South Carolina

9. Georgia
Georgia is founded for two reasons: the English did not want Spain to spread north and James Oglethorpe wanted a colony that was a safe haven for debtors
Originally Georgia banned slavery but by the 1750s it was legal
James Oglethorpe

10. The Tidewater
The Tidewater regions in the southern colonies develop plantations and slavery
Tobacco becomes a huge cash crop
Society is split between slaveholders and slaves; small groups of wealthy and large groups of poor farmers

11. The Backcountry The backcountry was cut off from the coast
Most people lived on small farms
People in the backcountry cared less about rank
Many felt like the colonial government only cared about protecting the wealth of large plantation owners