Power Presentations
CHAPTER 4
Economics in History
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It is the early 1700s when you arrive in one of
America’s larger port cities. After nearly a month
of ocean travel, you are thrilled to see land. As
you leave the ship, you wonder where you will
live and how you will earn a living.
Would you settle on a farm or in a town?
• Will you choose to live where other people from
your homeland live? Or will you try somewhere new?
• How did you make a living in your old country?
Will this influence your choice?
c. 1700 Colonial population reaches
257,000.
1712 Slave uprising occurs in
New York City.
1718 French found city of New Orleans at
mouth of Mississippi River. Spanish
priests build Alamo in Texas.
1739 Enslaved Africans revolt in Stono
Rebellion.
1742 First European settlement west of
Allegheny Mountains is established.
To World
c. 1750 Population of the English colonies
passes the one million mark.
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1701 War of the Spanish Succession
begins in Europe.
1707 Act of Union unites England with
Scotland and creates Great Britain.
1727 George II becomes King of
Great Britain.
1747 Slave trading African kingdom of
Dahomey is defeated by Oyo.
1752 China suppresses Tibetan
rebellion and forces Dalai Lama
to accept its authority.
Back to U.S.
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Main Idea
Fishing and trade contributed to the growth
and prosperity of the New England colonies.
Why It Matters Now
Coastal cities in New England continue to
engage in trade.
How did New Englanders prosper from the Atlantic Ocean?
ECONOMIC
ACTIVITY
BENEFITS TO
COLONISTS
Fishing
Fish could be sold for consumption
or export.
Whaling
Whale oil provided oil for lamps and
for export.
Trading
Colonists made money from three types of
Atlantic trade.
Smuggling
Smuggling was widespread, though illegal.
• How did most people in New England
earn a living?
• Why did England pass the Navigation Acts?
• What factors led to the decline of the Puritan
religion in New England?
Making Inferences
What advantages might there be in living
near other people in small towns, such as those
in New England?
Think About
• the transportation options available to colonists
• why shopkeepers chose to open businesses in towns
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Main Idea
The people who settled in the Middle
Colonies made a society of great diversity.
Map
Why It Matters Now
States in this region still boast some of the most
diverse communities in the world.
Which countries did immigrants in the Middle Colonies
come from?
England
Holland
Germany
Middle
Colonies’
Population
Scotland
Ireland
Africa
• What attracted settlers to the Middle Colonies?
• What service was performed at gristmills?
• Why might enslaved Africans be able to join in
rebellion more easily in the city than the country?
Analyzing Causes
What factors allowed large coastal cities to
develop in the Middle Colonies?
Think About
• geography
• people
• trade
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Main Idea
The economy of the Southern Colonies
relied heavily on slave labor.
Why It Matters Now
The existence of slavery deeply affected the
South and the nation.
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What factors led to the use of slaves in the South?
Causes
Labor-intensive cash
crops required lots
of workers.
Availability of land
made it difficult to
keep white laborers.
Effect
Planters turned
to enslaved
Africans for labor.
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• What percentage of the South’s population
was enslaved in 1750?
• What crops did plantations in Georgia
and South Carolina grow?
• How did enslaved persons resist their slavery?
Contrasting
How did geographic differences between
Southern Colonies and the New England
Colonies affect their labor systems?
Think About
• the climate of the regions
• the nature of the soil
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Main Idea
Settlers moved to the Backcountry because
land was cheap and plentiful.
Why It Matters Now
Backcountry settlers established a rural way of
life that still exists in certain parts of the country.
What are some of the geographic characteristics
of the Backcountry?
BACKCOUNTRY GEOGRAPHY
1. dense forests
2. rushing streams
3. near or in Appalachian Mountains
4. climate varied with latitude
• Which settlers migrated to the Backcountry?
• How did clans help the Scots-Irish survive?
• What economic activities did women
carry out in the region?
Identifying Problems
As England’s colonies expanded farther west,
what problems would they face?
Think About
• other inhabitants of the Americas
• the resources desired by the colonists
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REVIEW QUESTIONS
ANSWERS: READ AND TAKE NOTES
1 How would you describe the life of a
New England farmer?
2 In what ways did settlers in the region take
advantage of the Atlantic Ocean?
3 How were New England towns settled?
4 How were farms in the Middle Colonies
different than those in New England?
5 What characterized the population
of the Middle Colonies?
6 Why did Southern planters infrequently travel to
towns to sell their crops or to buy food and supplies?
7 Why did planters turn to enslaved Africans
for labor?
8 In what ways did slaves resist?
9 Where was the Backcountry located in the 1700s?
10 How was life in the Backcountry different from
that along the coast?
Effects
Causes
Analyzing Causes and Recognizing Effects
NEW ENGLAND
COLONIES
MIDDLE
COLONIES
SOUTHERN
COLONIES
BACKCOUNTRY
Climate
Long, cold winters
and a short growing
season
Shorter winters
and a longer
growing season
Nearly year-round
growing season
Varied with latitude
Resources
Rocky soil
Fertile soil
Fertile soil
Woods and streams
People
English settlers
Diverse population
English and
enslaved Africans
Scots-Irish and
Native Americans
Economic
Development
Small farms,
fishing and trade
Larger farms and
cash crops of grain
Plantation
economy
Small farms
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