Geography and American Development- Day 1 Question C

By Jake, Anna, and Stephen

Question

• “Geography was the primary factor in shaping the development of the British colonies in North America.” Assess the validity of this statement for the 1600s.

Thesis

As Americans started to spread throughout the East Coast during the 1600s, geography (along with other factors) profoundly influenced the economic development and overall health and success of the colonies that began to form.

New England Colonies

New England

• Lack of good soil, as well as a short growing season, made it difficult for early colonists (mostly Puritans) to farm

• Cold climate and harsh winters hindered health of early settlements

• Because the farming conditions were poor, northern colonists were forced to develop other means of economic security

• Therefore, the northern colonies’ economies did not rely much on exporting crops

• Instead, harbors & abundant fisheries helped the economy by providing opportunities related to shipbuilding, small manufacturing, and fishing; forests provided lumber

• Fur trappers (before overhunting)

New England Colonies

New England Colonies

• Farmers relied on their large families to work the fields, and in New England, this labor was enough to keep the small farms running

• Therefore, slaves were barely ever used, and slavery never took a very strong hold

• This fact would prove extraordinarily important in later years (ie the Civil War)

Southern Colonies

Southern Colonies’ Economy

• Colonies originally struggled in the face of diseases (yellow fever, malaria) brought on by mosquitoes in the hot, humid climate and marshland, as well as by poor drinking water

• Tobacco saved the region by serving as a cash crop

• Farmers planted huge tracts of tobacco, turning over huge profits

Southern Colonies’ Economy: Tobacco

• Tobacco served as a cash crop that saved Jamestown and led to further colonization of the region

• However, tobacco also encouraged “land butchery;” farmers moved on after exhausting the soil

• Plantations depended on cheap labor and thus a dependence on indentured servitude (and later, slavery)

• The plantation system created an economy that relied on only one item

• Additionally, the effects of the deep roots of slavery implanted in the region are still being felt today

Southern Colonies’ Economy: Tobacco

Southern Colonies’ Religion

• In general, the plantation south permitted a good deal of religious freedom

• Cash crops did not leave time for strict religious practices

• People mainly came to the region not for religious freedom but to turn over a quick profit

• Maryland formed in the region on the basis of religious freedom for Catholics, but tobacco still drove the economy

Middle Colonies

Middle Colonies (Breadbasket Colonies) Geography

• This “middle region” (geographically, ethnically, and economically) had a lot of fertile land, favorable for farming

• The Susquehanna, Delaware, and Hudson Rivers were strategically located to reach the “heart” of the colonies

• Colonists in the Middle Colonies did not own large plantations like Southerners, but did rely much more on the land than did the New Englanders

Middle Colonies (Breadbasket Colonies)

Middle Colonies (Breadbasket Colonies)

• Because of the great agricultural conditions, farmers in the Middle Colonies exported a lot of flour and grain

• Trading helped encourage population growth in the region

• The middle colonies had a much more diverse population than the other regions

• Additionally, their strategic location and favorable farming conditions led their economy to develop upon both agricultural and industrial foundations

The End!