New England Colonies
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Rhode Island, Massachusetts,
Connecticut, New Hampshire
long, cold winters
fishing, hunting
shipbuilding
rocky soil (not good for farming)
religion - very important
Puritans from England
town meetings planted the seeds of democracy
Great Awakening began in
Massachusetts - spread idea that all people are equal
developed public schools
grammar schools for boys, dame schools for girls
traded - ships, lumber, fish
Boston - busiest port
Middle Colonies
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New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania
milder climate
farming
"breadbasket colonies" (grow lots of wheat, grains)
shipped products to Philadelphia and New York City (largest cities)
manufacturing was important
people came from many places in Europe (diversity)
little education
most schools were private that charged fees
traded - grain, flour
Philadelphia - largest city
Southern Colonies
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good for farming
grew crops year round
most people were from England and belonged to Church of
England
main crops - tobacco and rice
large plantations
wealthy planters controlled business, slaves, government
most slaves of any colony
little education
wealthy children taught at home
traded - rice, tobacco
All Colonies
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father head of household
women had few rights
wealthy women had servants
women took care of house, children, made clothes, worked on
farms
upper class - wealthy and educated (ministers, lawyers, large
landowners
middle class - most of population (shopkeepers, craftsmen)
lower class - had few rights (servants, slaves, farm workers)
middle and lower class children became apprentices
most trade took place between colonies and with England
products were exchanged for gold and silver
England passed Navigation Acts to force colonies to trade with
only England and trade had to be done on English ships or ships
built in the colonies
developed Triangular Trade Routes to trade with European
countries and bring African slaves to colonies
by 1760 half of colonists came from European nations other than
England
colonists identified themselves by where they were living