Busy Farms and Seaports Unit 3, Chapter 6, Lesson 3 Pages 240 – 245

OBJECTIVES Explain why people chose to settle in the Middle Colonies Understand the types of jobs and businesses that people had in the Middle Colonies

RICH FARMLANDS Middle Colonies  very fertile soil Most people made their living by farming New England Colonies  soil is rocky, not as good for farming

Crops, Livestock, & Trade Main Crops: Wheat, Corn, and Rye Dairy cows & Pigs also abundant in the Middle Colonies Farmers – traveled to market towns Sell or trade livestock Gristmill – ground grain to flour

Port City Merchants at merchant towns took the good they bought from farmers to port cites Port cities were major trade centers in the Middle Colonies Prosperity – economic success, depended on port cities

New York NYC – most important trade city Hudson River Farmers, fur traders, and lumber workers would float goods down the river to NYC 1664 – only 30 ships each year 1750 – 600 ships each year 2nd busiest port in the English colonies

Philadelphia The busiest port Built along the Delaware River Farmers, merchants, & traders moved to Philadelphia Goods sent down Delaware River to the port From Philadelphia goods sailed down to Delaware Bay and then across the Atlantic

Exports and Imports Exports: same as New England (furs, meat, lumber), but they also exported wheat and grains Remember: EXPORT = EXIT from the Colonies to another location Imports(from England): Furniture, tea, gunpowder, medicines, metals, and slaves

Colonial Jobs Farming Shipping Skilled trades: iron working Artisans – craft workers – most came as indentured servants

Making Goods Artisans used raw materials to make goods

BLACKSMITHS USED IRON TO FORM HORSESHOES AND TOOLS

COOPERS MADE BARRELS OUT OF WOOD

CARPENTERS USED WOOD TO BUILD HOUSES AND SHIPS

BRICKLAYERS WORKED WITH STONE AND CLAY TO PAVE STREETS AND RAISE BUILDINGS

ARTISANS DEPENDING ON FARMING BAKERS BUTCHERS FLOUR MILLERS SOAP MAKERS

DRESSMAKERS & TAILORS USED WOOL, LINEN, AND COTTON TO MAKE CLOTHING

TANNERS TURNED ANIMAL SKIN INTO LEATHER

COBBLERS MADE SHOES

Learning a Trade Rich families went to college to be lawyers, bankers, or ministers Skill Artisan work not taught in college Apprentice – lived and worked with an artisan & his family for several years to learn a skill Journeyman then a Master Artisan jobs practiced by men

Women Little work outside the home Most not allowed to own property or business Once married, husband became owner of everything she had If the husband died, a wife would take over husbands business

How did people in the Middle Colonies learn to do skilled jobs? They became apprentices, living and working with artisans to learn skills. They then became journeyman and finally masters.

What is a grist mill? A place to ground grain into flour