The Thirteen British Colonies Why the U.S. speaks English!

New England Colonies: MA; RI; CT; NH Climate and Environment: cold winters; warm summers; rocky soil; many trees and rivers Economy: family labor on small farms; ship building; fishing; shipping (trade) Political: town government; church members voted Society/Culture: mostly English families; Puritans: Protestant Christians who came for religious freedom; some class differences Colonist-Indian Relations: warfare between groups as whites moved west

Middle Colonies: NY; NJ; PA; DE Climate and Environment: moderate (hot summers; cold winters); rivers and ocean Economy: fishing; trade; medium-sized farms; some use of slave labor Political: big cities (Philadelphia; New York) and rural towns; county government Society/Culture: Quakers--tolerant; classes of people; diverse religious beliefs (Catholics; Jews; Protestant Christians) and ethnicities (German; Dutch; Swedish; Scandinavian) Colonist-Indian Relations: trade with Iroquois Confederacy; PA Quakers bought land from Natives

Southern Colonies: VA; GA; MD; NC; SC Climate and Environment: very hot and humid summers; cool winters; flat land; rivers Economy: strongly based on slavery; large plantations; grew: rice, indigo, tobacco, and cotton (later) Political: county government (few schools); House of Burgesses (VA)--large landowners voted; master-slave relationship Society/Culture: rural; English single men at first; English women later; African slaves; mostly Protestant Christians Colonist-Indian Relations: war and pushed Natives west

Colonial Similarities and Differences Society and Culture: most colonists Protestant Christians; classes of people Economy: most colonists worked as farmers Fighting with Native Ams. over land Self-government and limited British control Rivers/oceans were important for travel and trade Differences: South had large plantations requiring slave labor; few slaves in North Southern climate hotter with more diseases; northern climate colder with clean water