1. Southern Colonies

2. Southern Colonies MD, VA, NC/SC, GA
Settlers came for cheap land, farming
Cash crops
Crops for profit
Fertile soil, warm winters/ summers
Indigo, rice, tobacco, wheat, corn
Large labor force
Most farms were small
Rivers - allowed for trade

4. Virginia First successful British colony
Largest city – Jamestown
Economy dominated by wealthy planters
Elite have control of government
Tobacco
Most populous colony

5. House of Burgesses 1619 First elected legislature
Governor, council, and reps from 11 plantations
White, land owning men
English crown took control in 1624
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson
Foundation for an American identity

6. Carolinas and Georgia Carolina Georgia Not divided until 1729
Small, rural, mostly farmers
Grew tobacco and rice
Georgia
Buffer colony
Protection for Northern colonies from Spanish Florida
Debtor colony
Created for English prisoners
Labor source

7. Maryland Founded by Lord Baltimore
Settled to be a safe haven for Catholics escaping persecution in England
Most settlers were Protestant
Passed the Toleration Act
Provided religious freedom to Christians
Both Catholic and Protestant
First formal religious toleration law

8. Indentured Servants
Most settlers from England that settled in the South came over as over as indentured servants
Signed a contract with a landowner usually lasting between 4-7 years
Received passage paid from England
Food, clothing, shelter in exchange for labor
After contract was up, servants were freed and given tools, food, and sometimes land
Later replaced by slavery

9. Slavery
Slavery has been practiced since the beginning of documented history
Introduced to New World by the Spanish
Started in India --> Africa
English economy growing, less people coming over as indentured servants
Slave Codes – forbids teaching, reading or writing to slaves
South has 90% of the slaves in the colonies

10. Southern Society Planter Elites Small Farmers/ Yeomen
Landless whites and Indentured servants
Slaves
The gap between the rich and poor grow