Colonial CultureLife in the Colonies,

1607 – 1776

New England Colonies

Geography• Every colony had access

to the coast

• Short growing season

• Harsh winters/cold climate

• Hard/rocky soil

• Large forests

Mayflower Compact – 1st doc of self-gov’tFundamental Orders of CT – 1st constitution

Subsistence Farming: depend on children for laborSmall business: craftspeopleShipbuilding & fishing

Middle Colonies

Geography• Every colony had access to the

coast

• Moderate growing season

• Mild winters/warm summers

• Fertile soil good for farming

• Large forests

• Iron ore mined in the mountains

Wheat & livestock shipped to NYC and Philadelphia

Nicknamed the “Bread Basket”

• Small scale manufacturing

Candle-making

Textiles

Woodworking/sawyer

Blacksmith

Most ethnically (nationalities) diverse coloniesTreated most people as equals

Southern Colonies

Geography• Long growing season

• Hot climate

• Flat land & good soil

• Many rivers to transport crops

• Every colony on the coast

VA House of Burgesses - 1st rep. assembly

Cash crops- tobacco, rice, indigoFarmers

http://rickettsindigo.com/indigo/Indigo.html

Labor SourceEasy availability of land

Limit immigrant workers

Hiring workers becomes difficult

Indentured servants

- Labor under contract

Slaves (by 1700, legal in all colonies)

Labor Source

Slaves were brought to American on the Middle Passage of the triangular trade route

Slave codes were passed to control slaves (ex: making it illegal to teach them to read)

Not all colonists believed in slavery