Topic: The New England, Middle, and Southern

Colonies

EQ: What were the characteristics of these

colonies?

A colony is…A colony is a group of people who settle in a new place but keep ties to their homeland.

English settlers created colonies in North America because:

• They wanted to profit from resources they could get in America.

• They wanted a place to freely practice religion

• They owed the British government money, and needed escape!

England FULLY supported settlers who wanted to form colonies in N. America.• They were competing

with France/Spain for land

• Wanted $! (Of course)• 1600s: practiced

MERCANTILISM=– A policy in which

nations tried to gain wealth by creating colonies and controlling trade

By 1733, there were 13 colonies along the Atlantic coastline.

• These colonies were grouped into 3 different zones

• They all had different climates/resources

Region 1: New England Colonies• Included:– Massachusetts –MA – Rhone Island-RI– Connecticut- CT– New Hampshire-NH

• Settlers in these colonies were seeking religions freedom

Climate/Resources in New England Colonies

• Farming hard because of rocky, hilly surroundings

• Very cold, long winters

• Built economy on small farms, lumbering, fishing, shipbuilding, trade

The middle colonies:

• These included:– New York-NY– Pennsylvania-PA– New Jersey- NJ – Delaware-DE

• Some climate was wooded forests, some valleys for farming

People who settled middle colonies were diverse:

• One group was the Quakers- settled PA– They wanted religious

freedom

• French, Dutch, German, Swedish, Irish, and even more groups settled this region!

Southern Colonies: • These included• -Maryland-MD• Virginia- VA• North Carolina- NC• South Carolina- SC• Georgia- GA

Southern Colonies Climate was:

• River filled• Wetlands merged into

sea• Soil great for growing

tobacco, rice, sugar, cotton and CASH CROPS– (Crops) raised in big

amounts to sell

Wealthy colonists created large farms called plantations.

• Plantation owners relied on indentured servants and enslaved Africans to harvest fields

• Crops/resources were brought to coast and transported to other colonies and Europe for $