4.1 Colonial Economy

Making a Living in the Colonies Largely based on agriculture & terrain/climate that surrounded it Commercial New England: Long winters, thin rocky soil Subsistence farming: produced enough to meet family needs only Everyone in family worked (even children were laborers) Small businesses mainly by craftsman Waterpower used to run grain/saw mills Shipbuilding & fishing was important

Making a Living in the Colonies cont… Middle Colonies: Fertile soil, milder climate Cash Crops: crops easily sold on the market/overseas New York City & Philadelphia were largest cities due to ports Industries: Small businesses – craftsman Large businesses – lumber mills, mines, iron works, etc Diverse population brought their farming methods (immigrants were successful farmers)

Making a Living in the Colonies cont… Southern Colonies: Rich soil, warm climate Most made money from farming (cash crops) Large Plantations locate in Tidewater (flat low- lying plains along seacoast) Plantations built on rivers to be able to ship crops to market via boat Plantations are like small villages Backcountry – between Tidewater and Appalachian Mountains More backcountry people than plantation owners but plantation owners were wealthier so plantation owners ruled economic/political life

Making a Living in the Colonies cont… Tobacco: Principal cash crop of Maryland/Virginia Indentured servants  enslaved Africans Tobacco sold mainly to Europe  too much tobacco on market  lower tobacco prices  farmers not making enough profit  change crop to wheat/corn Rice: Main crop for South Carolina/Georgia Paddies – rice fields (flooded field for young rice; drained field to harvest) Relied on slave labor More profit than tobacco

Growth of Slavery Slavery existed in West Africa and Arab lands Slave demand increased when Europeans take America Slaves taken in West Africa during wars/raids  sold to Europeans  traveled to America via ship on the Middle Passage  sold to plantation owners as slaves Middle Passage – part of triangular trade route (triangle made between America, Europe, and Africa) Middle Passage was the hardest part: enslaved were chained, received little food/water, some died

Life of the Slave Most worked in field Overseers ensured slaves worked hard Slave codes – rules governing behavior/punishment of slaves Codes: Can only leave plantation with permission, Illegal to teach slaves to read/write, Can’t gather in groups Punishments: whipping, hanging, burning to death (depended on the crime) Most slave families torn apart; Some learned trades (carpentry, blacksmith, etc); Some bought their freedom Puritans, Quakers, Mennonites did NOT believe in slavery