Life in the Colonies

1
Life in the Colonies

• Pages 100-106

2
New England Colonies

• Poor soil, harsh climate
• Population growth from 250,000 in 1700 to 2.5
  million by the mid 1770s.
• Immigration
• Large families
• Well organized towns
• Farming was the main economic activity
• Subsistence farming
• Families relied on children for labor

3
Commerce in New England

• Many small businesses
• Mills, clothing, craftspeople (blacksmiths,
  shoemakers, furniture makers, metal smiths,
  printers)
• Shipbuilding was an important industry
• Fishing
• Trade

4

• Trading between colonies and to the West Indies
• Triangular trade (see pg 103)
• Middle Passage trading slaves from Africa to the
  West Indies

5
Middle Colonies

• Fertile Soil, Milder climate
• Farmers produced larger harvests
• NY and PA farmers grew cash crops
• By the 1760s, New York City and Philadelphia
  were the largest cities in American colonies.

6
Middle Colonies continued

• Industry such as Carpentry, flour making
• Larger businesses lumbering, mining,
  manufacturing, iron mills
• Cultural diversity (German, English, Dutch,
  Swedish, etc.) also tolerance for religious and
  cultural differences

7
Southern Colonies

• Rich soil, warm climate
• A lot of farming, no need for industry or
  commerce
• Cash Crops Tobacco and Rice
• Relied on slave labor
• Most plantations were located in the Tidewater
• Included backcountry settlers toward the
  Appalachian Mountains

8
Slavery

• Most slaves lived on Plantations.
• Some worked in the house
• Most worked on the fields and were treated with
  cruelty
• Overseers kept the slaves working hard
• Many colonies issued slave codes
• Many slaves kept African traditions
• Many colonists disagreed with slavery