The Colonies Develop
The growth of the New England,
Middle, and Southern Colonies
New England
The New England region included the
colonies of Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
Connecticut and New Hampshire.
New England
The first settlers of these
colonies came to America
seeking religious freedom.
Religion was the center of the
Puritan lifestyle that came to
be known as the New England
Way.
Vocabulary
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majority rulecharterapprenticemeeting house- the building used for public and religious meetings
pilgrimPuritan-member of a religious group in the 1600’s
that believed the church needed to be more pure
• Separatist- group of people in the 1600’s that wanted to break away
from the church
• Mayflower Compact- agreement signed by the Pilgrims agreeing
that everyone will follow the laws that were made
Climate and Geography
In New England, farming was tough.
The region endured long, cold winters
and short mild summers. The soil was
rocky, making it hard to grow crops.
Because of this, most people practiced
subsistence farming. That is they
produced just enough food for
themselves and sometimes a little
extra for trade in town
Economy and Resources
New England’s economy was
largely dependent on the ocean.
Fishing was most important to the
New England economy.
Whaling, trapping, shipbuilding,
and logging were important also.
Many New England shippers grew
wealthy buying slaves in return for
rum, and selling the slaves to the
West Indies in return for molasses.
Triangular Trade
The triangular trade is the name
given to a trading route with
three stops. This trade helped
bring slavery to America and
earn New England huge profits.
For example, a ship might leave New England with a cargo of rum and
iron. In Africa the captain would trade his cargo for slaves. Slaves then
endured the horrible Middle Passage to the West Indies, where they were
exchanged for sugar and molasses. Traders then took the sugar and
molasses back to New England to make the rum that will start the whole
process over again.
Important People
John Winthrop
Roger Williams
Squanto
Important People
Anne Hutchinson-
Thomas Hooker-
The Middle Colonies
The four Middle Colonies were
New York, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
Vocabulary
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proprietoropportunity costreligious toleranceimmigrantmilitiaindentured servantartisancash crop-
Climate and Geography
The climate in the Middle
Colonies was temperate, with
warm summers and cold
winters. The land included
coastal plains, the piedmont with
its rolling hills, and the
mountains. The climate and land
were ideal for agriculture. This
area had good coastal harbors
for shipping.
Economy and Resources
These colonies were known as the
“breadbasket” because of the large
amounts of barley, wheat, oats, and
rye that were grown there. These were
cash crops.
The Middle Colonies enjoyed a successful economy. Big cities
such as New York and Philadelphia were major shipping hubs.
Artisans such as blacksmiths, silversmiths, cobblers and
milliners contributed to the economy of these cities.
A Diverse Region
The people who settled the Middle Colonies
represented many cultures and religions.
One important group, the Quakers, started the
colony of Pennsylvania. Others seeking
religious freedom soon followed.
Settlements of French, Dutch, German, Swedes,
Danes, Finns, Scots, Irish and English spread
throughout the Middle Colonies
A Climate of Tolerance
While the English Puritans dominated life in the
New England colonies, many different groups
contributed to the culture of the Middle Colonies
Because of the great number of different groups,
no single group could dominate the others. Thus,
the region’s diversity helped create a climate of
tolerance.
Some of the region’s religious groups, such
as the Quakers in Pennsylvania, also
helped promote tolerance and equality.
Important People
William Penn
Benjamin Franklin
The Southern Colonies
The five Southern Colonies were
Maryland, Virginia, North
Carolina, South Carolina, and
Georgia.
Vocabulary
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indigointerdependenceimportexportplantationdebtorstenant farmer- a person who farms the land of another
and pays rent with cash or with a portion of the produce.
Climate and Geography
The Southern colonies enjoyed a
warm climate with hot summers
and mild winters. Geography
ranged from the coastal plains in
the east to the piedmont farther
inland. The westernmost regions
were mountainous. The soil was
perfect for farming and the
growing season was longer than
any other region.
Economy and Resources
The Southern economy was almost entirely
based on farming
Tobacco, rice, cotton, indigo, and sugarcane
were cash crops. Crops were grown on large
plantations where slaves and indentured
servants worked the land. The crops were
exported to Europe.
Plantations were self-sufficient and large
cities like those in the North were rare in the
Southern Colonies.
Important People
James Oglethorpe
George Calvert
The Turn to Slavery
As the plantation economy continued to grow,
planters began having difficulty finding
enough laborers to work their plantations.
At first, they turned to European indentured
servants to work the fields. However, this did
not last for long. With large amounts of cheap
land available in America, it was easy for
white men to save enough money to buy land
and start their own farms.
The Turn to Slavery
Planters then tried to force American Indians to
work for them, but European diseases caused
many of the Indians to die. Those who survived
usually knew the land well enough to run away.
To meet their labor needs, the planters finally
turned to enslaved Africans. As a result, the
population of people of African descent began to
grow. By 1750, there were 235,000 enslaved
Africans in America.