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Pros and cons of the middle colonies
Colonial advantages
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All the colonists say their first choice of living is in the Middle Colonies. Even though the Southern colonies have short winters and the Northern colonies have little to none disease, The Middle Colonies should be the best place to live because of the geography and better economy. The Middle Colonies’ geography is a highlight of a colonist’s stay. Glacier melt from New England brought fertile soil to set up massive farms. The Middle Colonies grew so much wheat and grain that it earned the nickname “The Breadbasket”. The grow season is long, with plenty of sunlight and rain, making it ideal for farming. Farmers also have access to wildlife, so they hunted for animals. Someone might say that the Southern Colonies’ crop plantation system is
It is evident then, that geography and climate greatly shaped the lifestyles of the early colonies. The frigid North had the close knit towns, smaller farms and central governing bodies. The moderate climate of the Middle colonies allowed for prosperous farming, trade and, opportunity. Large plantations ruled the Southern Colonies with their scattered settlements and independently-run lifestyles.
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 factories. The colonists of the Chesapeake Bay region, on the other hand, led harder lives compared to that of the colonists of New England. The Chesapeake Bay had an unhealthy environment, bad eating diets, and intolerable labor.
During the 1600's, many people in the American colonies led very many different lives, some better than others. While life was hard for some groups, other colonists were healthy and happy. Two groups that display such a difference are the colonists of New England and Chesapeake Bay. New Englanders enjoyed a much higher standard of living. This high standard of New England's was due to many factors, including a healthier environment, better family situation, and a high rate of reproduction.
In 1419, Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal began the period of time known as the “Age of Exploration”. Europe’s leading superpowers, France, Spain, Portugal, Holland, and England, all competed for colonization in unknown territories. Samuel de Champlain colonized along the St. Lawrence River in 1608, Henry Hudson of Holland established Albany in 1609, and Spain established colonies in Mexico and Mesoamerica. In 1607, England established its first colony in North America around the Chesapeake Bay, and nearly a decade later established a second colony in present-day New England. Both New England and the Chesapeake were founded by the British around the same time; however, both colonies developed a different economy, government, and many other ways of life.
The three colonial regions blossomed quite differently in terms of economy. English colonists first settled in Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. Failing to find gold, however, people in the southern colonies grew tobacco and rice as marketable commodities. Since tobacco plantation was labor-intensive, a large number of the population was indentured servants and black slaves. Because of the high mortality rate and unbalanced sex ratio, headright system was created in order to attract more settlers. In New England, due to the poor soil condition, people mainly relied on fishing, and lumber. Also, the Navigation Acts stimulated shipbuilding industry. The Middle colonies were based on growing grains and trading with European nations as well as other colonies.
When the northern and middle colonies were founded, England had a strong hold over the colonies. They controlled development and the government, among other things. But as the colonies developed, they began to have an ever-growing sense of independence that was a threat to its English rulers. As a result of this England went through much trouble in constantly trying to regain full control of the colonies.
To the south of New England were the middle colonies. There the soil was fertile, and the weather more acclimated to farming (Sarcelle, 1965). Rivers flowed west toward the frontier, enabling transportation. The middle colonies, as opposed to the relatively Puritan dominated New England, were very diverse in people. A mixture of Dutch, German, Swedes, English and other smaller groups were present in middle colonial cities such as New York (Higginbotham, 1996).
Southern colonies were hilly coast with grew cotton, tobacco, rice, sugar cans .also they had specific regions which gave way to religious freedoms.The founders of the Southern Colonies were, for the most part, out to make money. They brought their families, as did the New England colonists, and they kept their families together on the plantations.In the Southern Colonies and travel environment controlled social life. The Southern Colonies had a hard-and-fast three class system. Upper-class rich colony owners, middle-class small colony owners, lower class.The southern colonies were established early on after the settlement of Jamestown in 1607. At first, the south also relied on the forests and the water, but tobacco and cotton later emerged as cash crops. Initially, these crops were harvested by indentured servants, but with the growth of plantations, planters started to import slaves from Africa. In the South, there was a great divide between the rich and the poor. The Church of England was the dominant religion and the center of life for southerners. Laws were made by county governments and the economy centered around the large
At the start of the 17th century, England was ruled almost entirely by gentlemen – those who could live everyday life without an ounce of manual labor. Even Englishmen who were not extremely poor, such as merchants or small land-owners, had little influence on politics. Due to primogeniture laws, younger sons could not inherit any land from their fathers. The New World was their solution, their hope to building their fortune. As these Englishmen, rich or poor, traveled to the colonies across the Atlantic, they brought with them English culture. The colonies in New England, Middle Colonies, and Southern Colonies all attracted Englishmen and therefore aspects of English culture. However, the New England colonies were the most significant group of colonies of the New World in establishing an outpost of English culture along the Atlantic coast of North America in the 17th century. The middle and southern colonies played their roles as well, and the differences in regional culture are evident today. Everyday Life in Early America is a chronicle of colonial American history written by David Freeman Hawke. In it, he gives several examples of how each individual group of colonies established their communities with culture traced back to England. There are a few major, unavoidable issues that can be used to compare the culture of the three groups of colonies, including education and the court system.
What major problems did the young republic face after its victory over Great Britain? How did these problems motivate members of the elite to call for a federal constitution?
Settlers in the New England colonies had a harder time growing crops in their area due to the kind of soil. The harsh and bitterly cold winters also made it difficult. However, due to their location on the coast they were able to fish, which was essentially a staple in their economy. The middle colonies were known as the “breadbasket” because their main crops were wheat, barley, oats, rye, and corn. The southern colonies were known for growing indigo, cotton, and rice, but their primary crop was unquestionably tobacco. Tobacco was in such high demand, not only in Europe but in the colonies as well, that it became known as a cash crop and was the main source of their
In early America, socio-economic class, agriculture, religion and gender played four very important roles in regional distinctions of this newly developing country. Even though agriculture, religion, and gender were extremely important, the biggest factor was socio-economic life. A person’s socio economic class was what determined their life style from a wealth, treatment, and dress style and home, which are major aspects of human life. In Everyday Life in Early America, David Freeman Hawke explains how each of these four factors determined the life style of each early resident of America as well as the overall development of the country in its beginning years to emerge into a growing and improving nation (continue)
Chesapeake colonies of Virginia and Maryland were settled in the early 17th century. It was a difficult live for the first colonist; they had limited labor and were constantly raided by Native Americans. Colonist tried to use the Native Americans as a source of slavery. Most of the colonist’s farms were by forest areas so Native Americans would just leave in to the woods. Colonists were afraid of pressuring them from the fear of getting ambushed by gangs of Native Americans. Another reason Native Americans men made bad slaves was because the women in the tribes did the agricultural work in the Native American villages.
During the late 16th century and into the 17th century, European nations rapidly colonized the newly discovered Americas. England in particular sent out numerous groups to the eastern coast of North America to two regions. These two regions were known as the Chesapeake and the New England areas. Later, in the late 1700's, these two areas would bond to become one nation. Yet from the very beginnings, both had very separate and unique identities. These differences, though very numerous, spurred from one major factor: the very reason the settlers came to the New World. This affected the colonies in literally every way, including economically, socially, and politically.
I would have preferred to live in Pennsylvania out of all the thirteen colonies. Pennsylvania was a very prosperous colony due to the fact that everyone had economic opportunity. Also, the people had civil liberty, allowing them to surpass the other colonies that had multiple restrictions. In addition, they had religious freedom unlike other colonies. Pennsylvania had many great features compared to the other colonies.