When the British first set out to colonize America, they were expecting their colonies to be similar, even uniform in extreme cases. However, they quickly realised that this would be a difficult task to accomplish, if not impossible all together. Not only were the colonists vastly different, depending on where and when they came from, but the continent was so vast and the land varied so much that what worked for one colony would ensure the fall of another. This caused the colonists to adapt different ways of life depending on where they lived in America, due to the variance in land types.. The original colonies were divided into three main regions, the North, the Mid-Atlantic, and the South. Though split by their regions, they all shared …show more content…
This, combined with the fact that there was very little emphasis on farming, allowed the people of New England to focus their attention on other things, such as crafts and shipbuilding, which turned them into an artisan, trade-oriented society. A mixture of the northern and southern colonies, the Mid-Atlantic colonies were nicknamed the “breadbasket colonies,” and for good reason. Their fertile soil and mild climate allowed them to grow a large quantity of crops, most of which were grains. As such, that was also their main export. Not only did they grow an abundance of crops, but their population grew rapidly as well. Areas such as Pennsylvania and New York attracted an abundance of settlers, due to the large size of the land that was being given away. It was also the most diverse of the regions, from Quakers in Pennsylvania to the Dutch Calvinists in Albany, and as such, the most religiously tolerant. Due to its size, diversity, and abundance of goods, the Mid-Atlantic colonies played a large role in the Enlightenment and Great Awakening’s effect on America. They were home to one of the Enlightenment’s greatest thinkers, Benjamin Franklin, and housed some very liberal ideals, such as religious freedom and a greater role for women in society. Lastly, there were the Southern Colonies. They profited off of large amounts of cash crops such as tobacco, indigo, and rice, which required large plantations, and in turn, a source of cheap labor. This labor came in
Beginning in 1607, when ambitious English colonists settled in Jamestown, and continuing until the last of the thirteen colonies was established; geography was a substantial factor in the development of colonial America. The crops that essentially saved the colonists lives, such as tobacco, rice, and indigo, wouldn’t have grown without a certain type and amount of soil to grow properly. Also, the Appalachian Mountains and the dense forests provided a barrier for the colonists, preventing them from going too far west right away, and causing the colonies to form in the arrangement they did. Finally, the population was the most dense in middle colonies, such as New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania partly because of the mild
During the 1700's, people in the American colonies lived in very distinctive societies. While some colonists led hard lives, others were healthy and prosperous. The two groups who showed these differences were the colonists of the New England and Chesapeake Bay areas. The differentiating characteristics among the Chesapeake and New England colonies developed due to economy, religion, and motives for colonial expansion. The colonists of the New England area possessed a very happy and healthy life. This high way of living was due in part to better farming, a healthier environment, and a high rate of production because of more
During the mid 17th century two regions carved roots for England in North America. Coming from the same homeland one would assume their inner workings would closely mirror each other but this was not the case for the New England and Chesapeake colonies. Though faced with similar hardships, the ways they handled the difficulties starkly contrast one another.
These factors not only produced differences between the colonies and England, but among the colonies themselves. Brinkley writes that, “Many distinct societies developed in the colonies, but the greatest distinction was between the colonies of the North and those of the South” (81). This resulted in the colonist not only developing their own identity from that of England, but in many ways from each other. The same distinct factors such as population, economics, and society and religion, and political ideas that differed between the colonies and England, were the same factors that differed from each of the colonies. Although, while it is true that the colonist differed from each other they were always more alike than they were with England.
When established, the British colonies had three divisions which are New England, Middle, and the Southern. Each of these geographic regions had some developments which were unique and different from other sectors. Some of the stark differences were because of geopolitical, religious, economic, and social factors. Although all regions were marked by tremendous growth, they experienced differences in their management style and trading pact.
Although the Chesapeake and New England colonies were the earliest English colonies to flourish in the New World, they were both extremely different in the ways that they developed. Similarities between the colonies can be found, but the colonies were mostly different. The colonies differed most in religion, society, culture, economy, and their relationships with the American Indians of the region. The reasons for such differences can be understood by realizing that the colonies were settled by incredibly different people who possessed different cultures, religious beliefs, and motivations for settling in their respective colonies in the first place. The Chesapeake and New England colonies had similarities and differences in their development, including how each colony affected nearby American Indians. Their differences and similarities can be understood by analyzing each colony’s geography, economy, religions, and cultures.
America was a place for dreams and new beginnings, until white people arrived in 1607. Three groups sailed over the treacherous Atlantic from their cruel lives in England to set up peaceful religious colonies. The only problem is that they attempted to settle in their own way and all failed dismally. The New England, Middle and Southern Colonies grew differently over the period 1619-1760.Examining the three sets of colonies will prove that they were all different: socially, economically, politically but not philosophically.
To sum it all up, the northern and southern colonies were as different as day and night. They were colonized for different reason. Also they had a very diverse climate. Their pattern of trade was
There were a myriad of differences between Great Britain and her American colonies in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, but these differences can be divided into three basic categories: economic, social, and political. The original American settlers came to the colonies for varied reasons, but a common trait among these settlers was that they still considered themselves British subjects. However, as time passed, the colonists grew disenfranchised from England. Separated from the king by three thousand miles and living in a primitive environment where obtaining simple necessities was a struggle, pragmatism became the common thread throughout all daily life in the colonies. It was this pragmatism that led the colonists to create
Historians divide Colonial America into three distinct regions. These regions were New England, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. In this essay I will compare and contrast these three different areas and discuss why each region developed in a unique way.
In the early days of America under British rule, there were only 13 colonies; all of which across the Atlantic coast of North America. These 13 colonies of British colonial America were divided into 3 geographical regions: New England colonies (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire), Middle colonies (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware), and Southern colonies (Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia). Environmental and Geographical variations led to the division of the colonies; but economic, social, and political issues led to the colonies being represented by 3 separate regions and not a unified whole. I believe that colonial america was represented by 3 separate regions because of economic specialization,
In the early 17th century, the thirteen American colonies were already divided into three sections by name. These sections were greatly influenced by the land and resources available to the people. In the north, the New England Colonies developed on poor soil but with a lot of forest and lumber. Their economy revolved around trade, merchants, fishing, and craftsmanship. New England was also mostly made up of Puritans. The Middle Colonies were very diverse and consisted of a lot of Quakers. With their rich and fertile soil, they were called the “breadbasket” of the colonies because of all the wheat they grew. Major economic activities here were farming, growing livestock, mining, and trading. Since the Middle Colonies were so diverse, they also had many religious groups, so they were more tolerant of different religions than the other regions. The South had many English aristocrats who owned big plantations. They would have
By the 1700’s, New England, the Chesapeake region and the Southern Colonies developed into three distinct societies, despite coming from the same mother country, England. The regions of Colonial America each had a distinctive culture and economy entirely different from the other regions. Religion and religious tolerance was completely different in each region, running from being free to complete persecution. Ethnicity and racial composition ranged from almost complete British descent to a wide range of composition. Each region was politically and economically structured different and had its own identity. Each developed differently based on immigration trends, geography and other features. Throughout the colonization of Colonial America,
The Colonial era was the beginnings of what was to become the United States of America. Chartered companies, Joint-Stock Virginia Company and Massachusetts Bay Company, established colonies in both the North and South. The Northern colony was New England and the Southern was Virginia. A Middle region, made up of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware, also referred to as “The best poor man’s country developed shortly afterward. The social-economical patterns of this Middle region looked more Northern than it did Southern. In the South agriculture supplied by slave labor dominated their market system, while in the North timber and Cod fishing sustained their economy. The Middle region with a climate similar to the South, but without the impact of slave labor grew the crops that would feed the North, thus aligning them with the North
They were the New England colonies, the Middle colonies and the Southern colonies. The New England colonies were known for fishing, cobbling, coach building, and leather goods. They sold these goods to England, West Indies and Africa which made up their triangle of trade. Back then the rum that everyone was drinking was made from molasses from Rhode Island. In turn the rum was traded for slaves with the West Indies along with gold and silver. England loved that so they rarely interfered with this trade triangle. Thus making New England, more importantly Boston, MA to be a thriving port for