Colonial Regions Develop New England Middle Colonies Southern Colonies Backcountry

New England Colonies The New England Colonies developed on the Northern Atlantic Coast. They were: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire

“There is a great pasture where our children's grandchildren will go for bread.” New England's rocky soil made farming difficult, but the Atlantic Ocean offered many economic opportunities.

Fishing Many New Engladers made a living catching fish.

Whaling Killing whales for oil was a very dangerous but profitable way to make a living in New England.

Shipbuilding New Englanders also made use of the forests to cut timber and build ships.

Cold, long winters New England has cold, long winters. It isn't really suitable for farming.

Subsistence Farming People in New England grew just enough food for themselves and maybe a little extra to trade in town

New England Towns Fishing villages grew along the Atlantic Coast.

New England towns that were not on the coast were laid out in a square. There was a “green” or common in the middle of the town and the houses and businesses surrounded it.

Religion in New England The New England colonies were founded by Pilgrims and Puritans and those who left the Puritan like Roger Williams

The Middle Colonies The Middle Colonies were: New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania

Rivers and Streams Provide Power Swift running rivers and creeks in the Middle Colonies made them ideal for water power. Double-click to add graphics

Gristmills Gristmills were used to grind grain into flour and meal. Water power from the numerous streams and rivers turned the wheels.

Cash Crops With a longer growing season than New England, it was possible for people from the Middle Colonies to make a living growing crops. Wheat was the predominate crop in the Middle Colonies

Cities Cities grew large in the Middle Colonies. Natural harbors or ports like that in New York encouraged trade and growth in port cities.

A Diverse Region The Middle Colonies were home to people from all over Europe. People from many different religions and ethnic backgrounds came to the Middle Colonies.

The Middle Colonies 1750 This pie chart shows the percentages of different ethnic groups living in the Middle Colonies in 1750

A Climate of Tolerance Founders of the Middle Colonies such as William Penn made sure that these colonies would not persecute people for their religious beliefs. The Middle Colonies boasted an atmosphere of religious freedom.

The Southern Colonies The Southern Colonies had fertile soil and were ideal for growing crops. They were Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia

Plantation System The economy of the south depended on agriculture. People who owned large farms – or plantations – were called Planters.

Plantations were self - sufficient Plantation owners lived in nice, large homes. Plantations had their own blacksmith shops, shoemakers, spinners, seamstresses, etc. Very seldom did Planters or their families need to leave the plantation for supplies.

The Planter Class Most of the wealth in the South belonged to the planters. Though there were many more small farmers than planters, the planters controlled the politics of the South.

The Turn to Slavery Until the 1660's most of the work on the plantations was done by indentured servants from Europe. But, when indentured servants began to fulfill their contracts, the planters turned to buying slaves from Africa.

U.S. Slave Population This line graph shows the growth of slavery in the Southern colonies compared to the Northern (Middle and New England) colonies.

The Backcountry The backcountry was the area that ran along the Appalachian Mountains at the western part of the other regions

Climate and Resources of the Backcountry The climate and resources of the backcountry varied according to the elevation.

Economy of the Backcountry Others had small farms Some backcountry settlers made a living trading furs with the Indians

Backcountry Life Living in the backcountry was harsh. The distance and lack of good roads made life very isolated Backcountry settlers often clashed with the Indians

The Scots - Irish Backcountry settlers were primarily Scots – Irish. These people had a clan – system. Clans are large groups of people who claim a common ancestor. The Scots – Irish were suspicious of anyone not from their own clan Backcountry life suited them, because they could isolate themselves from others who were not of their “clan.”

Log Cabins Backcountry settlers took advantage of the abundance of trees to build log cabins for shelter.