CHAPTER 4 • SECTION 3
Productive Farms The Middle Colonies enjoyed a longer growing season
than New England and a soil rich enough to grow cash crops. These were
crops raised to be sold for money. Common cash crops included fruits, vegetables, and, above all, grain. In fact, the Middle Colonies produced so much
grain that people began calling them the “breadbasket” colonies.
More About . . .
Growing Cities The excellent harbors of the Middle Colonies were ideal
Philadelphia and Benjamin
Franklin
sites for cities. New York City grew at the mouth of the Hudson River, and
Philadelphia was founded on the Delaware River. The merchants who lived
in these growing port cities exported grain and other cash crops from local
farms and imported manufactured goods from England.
Because of its enormous trade, Philadelphia became the fastest growing
city in the colonies. By the 1750s, it was home to a dozen large shipyards—
places where ships are built or repaired.
The city’s wealth also brought many public improvements. Large and
beautiful buildings, such as Philadelphia’s statehouse—which was later
renamed Independence Hall—graced the city’s streets. In 1748, a Swedish
visitor was impressed by the city’s beauty and wealth.
William Penn called the capital of his new
colony Philadelphia, a Greek word meaning
“brotherly love.” The city benefited from the
numerous contributions of its most famous
citizen, Benjamin Franklin. Franklin founded
a subscription library, a fire company, a
hospital, a militia, and a philosophical
society. He was also instrumental in the
founding of the University of Pennsylvania.
More About . . .
New York City and Philadelphia
In the mid-1700s, New York City and
Philadelphia rivaled the fine cities of Europe.
After Liverpool and London, Philadelphia
was the third-largest trade city in the British
Empire. Today New York is the larger, more
prominent city of the two. In the mid-1700s,
however, Philadelphia was the premier
city. Both were conveniently located on
rivers, which helped them grow quickly.
Philadelphia’s population of about 10,000 in
1699 grew to around 23,700 by 1750. New
York’s population doubled to 18,000 in the
1740s alone. At one time, each city served
as the capital of the United States.
PRIMARY SOURCE
Answer: The harbors
of the region made
excellent ports; the
fertile countryside
produced good crops that
were exported through
the cities; immigrants
were attracted by the
region’s tolerance.
“
And yet . . . its natural advantages, trade, riches, and power are by no
means inferior to . . . any, even of the most ancient, towns in Europe.
—Peter Kalm, quoted in America at 1750
”
New York could also thank trade for its rapid growth. This bustling port
handled flour, bread, furs, and whale oil. At midcentury, an English naval
officer admired the city’s elegant buildings and paved streets. “Such is this
city,” he said, “that very few in England can rival it in its show.”
MAIN IDEAS & DETAILS Explain why the cities of the Middle Colonies grew.
(below) A late 18th-century view
of Philadelphia.
In what other respects did
Philadelphia grow in the 1700s?
Answer: The city grew in
size and wealth.
Unit 2 Resource Book
• Connect Geography & History,
pp. 111–112
112 Chapter 4
DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION
112 • Chapter 4
Struggling Readers
English Learners
Locate Supporting Details
Comprehension: Connection
Guide students in finding details that
support the main idea of the section
entitled “A Prosperous Region.” Have
them answer these questions: Why were
Middle Colony farms productive? Why
did Middle Colony cities grow quickly?
Have students list details in the Main
Idea and Details graphic organizer they
started at the beginning of the section.
Read aloud the descriptions of the
growth of Philadelphia and New York
City. Rephrase idiomatic or unusual
language in the descriptions, such as
“it was home to,” “graced the city’s
streets,” and “New York could also
thank trade.” Also, to make the quote
by Peter Kalm easier to understand,
substitute “not” for “by no means”
and omit “even of the most ancient.”
Middle Colonies 1750
N TA
MOU
IAN
LACH
Ri
ver
iver
e
S u sq u
ha
50
50
100 miles
100 kilometers
S
Middle Colonies 1750
Connect Geography
CONTRAST Ask students to contrast the
river systems in the Middle Colonies with
those in the New England Colonies. (The
Middle Colonies had more major river systems
than New England.)
4 0°N
New York
N EW JER SE Y
Major Exports
ANSWERS
Furs and skins
nn
a
Philadelphia
Cattle and grain
1. Place the Susquehanna, the Delaware,
and the Hudson
Tobacco
APPA
Iron
2. Make Inferences They provide plenty
of water to grow crops as well as a way to
transport goods.
Ships
DEL AWAR E
Timber
75°W
Connect Geography
Unit 2 Resource Book
• Skillbuilder Practice, p. 105
• Economics in History, p. 106
History
1. Place What are the three major rivers in the Middle Colonies?
2. Make Inferences Why might the Middle Colonies’ rivers be
important for farmers?
Independence Hall,
Philadelphia
African Americans in the Cities
KEY QUESTION How did African Americans help build the cities?
Reader, Recorder, Reporter
Racial Tension in New York City New York City had a larger number of
• What role did Africans play in building New
York? (They built roads, houses, and public
buildings.)
people of African descent than any other Northern city. Its African American
population was divided between the enslaved and the free.
The slave trade was an important part of the city’s economy. Many Africans
were brought to New York City in order to serve wealthy families. Enslaved
people worked as manual laborers, servants, drivers, and as assistants to
artisans, or craftspeople. Before New York came under English control,
artisans
enslaved Africans had built roads, houses, and public buildings—the very
foundations of the colony.
A free black community developed in New York City as early as 1644. Free
African-American men and women worked as laborers, servants, and sailors.
For a time free blacks had the right to own property.
• Describe the African population in New York in
the 1600–1700s. (Possible Answers: part slave
and part free; both free and enslaved might
work as laborers and servants; other enslaved
people worked as drivers and artisans’
assistants; free blacks could own property
for a time)
The Colonies Develop 113
INTERDISCIPLINARY ACTIVITIES
to Math
CONNECT
Teach
African Americans in the
Cities
Unlike the economy that developed in the South, the economy of the Middle
Colonies did not depend on a large slave population. In 1750, only about
7 percent of the Middle Colonies’ population was enslaved. Most of these
enslaved people lived in the cities.
CONNECT
History
70°W
AT L A N T I C
OCEAN
aware R
D el
PEN N SY LVANIA
YO RK
0
0
W
River
NEW
INS
e
E
Hudson
Lak
rio
ta
On
CHAPTER 4 • SECTION 3
N
C laimed by
N. Y. & N.H.
• Main Ideas and Details What happened as
a result of both free and enslaved living such
harsh lives in New York City? (It led to racial
tension and a slave revolt.)
to World Languages
Enslaved Populations Pie Charts
Roots of American English
Have students make two pie charts: one
showing the population of enslaved people and
free people in the Middle Colonies and the other
showing the same statistics for the Southern
colonies. Students should base their charts on
the following figures from 1750: In the Middle
Colonies, 7 percent of the population was
enslaved; in the Southern colonies, about 40
percent of the population was enslaved.
Explain that English settlers borrowed words
from Native Americans and from those who
came to America from other places, including
Africa, Spain, Sweden, and Germany. The words
boss and waffle come from Dutch, and banjo
and gumbo are derived from African languages.
Have students use dictionaries to create a
glossary of at least 20 English words that have
their roots in other languages. Glossary entries
should include pronunciation, part of speech,
definition, and country of origin.
Teacher’s Edition • 113