The Middle Colonies
Chapter 6 section 2
Pages 157-162
The middle colonies:
• Included:
–
–
–
–
New York
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
Delaware
Farming
• Farmers in the middle colonies had many
advantages:
– Rich soil
– Mild climate
– Long growing season
– Deep rivers
Crops for sale
• Because of good soil
and climate people
could produce crops to
sell
• These became known
as Cash Crops- crops
grown to sell for profit
• They produced so
much grain they
became known as the
bread basket colonies
Port cities
• Many farmers in the
middle colonies
shipped their goods
through Philadelphia
and New York
• They shipped them
via the Delaware
river and the Hudson
river
Conestoga Wagon
• Many of the Pennsylvania Dutch utilized the
Conestoga wagon
• It was:
– Larger
– More sturdy
– Covered
– Large wheels
New York farmers
• Owning land was very important to the
colonists
• 5 families owned most of the land (their
estates could cover up to 2 million acres)
• The owner or Patroon ran their estates like
tiny kingdoms
• People who farmed the land had to pay rent
Business, Trade, and Cities
Page 159
Cities Grow Quickly
• By the mid 1700’s Philadelphia and New York
were the two largest cities in the colonies
• They were important trading and
manufacturing centers
• Cities were a contrast to the quiet countryside
– Streets were paved with brick or cobblestone
– They were lined with shops and inns
– Crowds of people spoke many languages
A different kind of community:
• The middle colonies were settled by people
from many countries with different:
– Beliefs
– Customs
– languages
Many Religions:
• The colonies did not have any single religion that
was more powerful then the others
• Religions included
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Roman catholic
Jewish
Amish
Mennonite
Calvinists
Quaker
Lutherans
Country Customs and Fun
• People worked together to:
– Clear land
– Barn raising
– Sheep shearing
– Quilting
The Frontier
• Early colonists settled along the Atlantic coast
and the banks of large rivers
• As more people arrived they moved further
inland
• Frontier- a thinly settled area on the outer
limits of the colonies
• For the middle colonies the frontier was the
foothills of the Appalachian Mountains
People on the frontier
• People who settled here were mainly seeking
new adventure and freedom
• They had to partake in extra chores like:
– Cutting logs for their house and fires
– Make furniture
– Make candles
– Make clothes
– Educate their children
Dangers on the frontier
• Because families on the frontier all faced
many dangers and hardships:
– They gained a spirit of independence and equality
– Women worked alongside men
– Different culture groups shared thoughts and
ideas
– There were no social class distinctions