Middle Colonies
Region
New England Region
Making a Living in the 3 Geographic Regions
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Connecticut
 Thin, rocky soil led to only family farming (also known as subsistence
farming)
 Abundant forests meant a plentiful supply of lumber
 Miles and miles of coastline led to fishing, whaling and other searelated industries such as ship-building
 Some very small home-based cottage-industries such as soap-making,
candle-making ,etc.
 New England ships sailed up and down the Atlantic coast, allowing the
13 colonies to trade with one another and become economically
interdependent
New
Hampshire
New York
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
Delaware
 This region had two major ports: New York and Philadelphia
 They became centers for trade
 Farmers benefited from a milder climate (when compared to New
England) and more fertile soil, produced larger crops such as grains
(example: wheat)
 These crops are often referred to as “staple” crops
 Sometimes referred to as the “bread basket colonies”
 People in the Middle Colonies also engaged in mining, lumbering and
manufacturing
Southern Colonies
Region
Virginia
Maryland
South
Carolina
Georgia
 Had the richest soil and warmest climate of all 3 regions
 Most settlers made their living from farming
 Large property owners made their living from selling cash crops such as
tobacco
 In the low-lying areas along the coast planting rice was profitable
 This region became dependent on slave labor and hired “overseers” to
supervise the slaves and enforce strict “slave codes”
 The economies of the southern colonies grew faster than any other
region because of cash crops and abundant, free slave labor.
New England Colonies Middle Colonies
General
Geography
and Climate
Types of
Farming
Other types of
economic
activities
Main Religion
Types of
Government
Southern Colonies