Regional Characteristics in the British North American Colonies

Southern Colonies ► Colonies: - Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. ► Associated Groups: Cavaliers

Cavaliers

Southern Colonies ► Government Characteristics: - Elected assemblies: - VA House of Burgesses (1619) = 1 st elected assembly in the New World. - Land determines wealth; Wealth determines political power. - Social structure is based on family status and ownership of land.

Virginia House of Burgesses

Southern Colonies ► Government Characteristics (cont’d): - Ownership of land required to vote. - Planters play leading roles in colonial legislatures. Large landowners in the east dominate colonial governments and society and maintain allegiance to the Church of England and closer social ties to Britain than other regions. - Poor paid most of the taxes.

Southern Colonies ► Religious Characteristics: - Most people are Anglican (becomes Episcopalian Church after the American Episcopalian Church after the American Revolution). Revolution). ► Economic Characteristics: - Tidewater area: Economy dominated by Plantation farming. “Cash crops” grown (Tobacco, rice, indigo).

Plantation Farming

Cash Crops

Southern Colonies ► Economic Characteristics (cont’d): - Initially marked by headright system and indentured servitude. - Indentured servitude replaced by slavery after events like Bacon’s Rebellion. - Piedmont (inland area) = small farms, hunting, and trading.

Indentured Servitude

Small Scale Farming

New England Colonies ► Colonies: - New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Connecticut. ► Associated Groups: Puritans, Pilgrims (Separatists).

New England Colonies ► Government Characteristics: - Government (Governor / Legislative Assembly) elected yearly. - Direct Democracy practiced through town meetings (Athenian model). - The “Elect” rule. - Taxes

Town Meetings

New England Colonies ► Government Characteristics (cont’d): - “Covenant communities” (Plymouth based on Mayflower Compact and Puritan religious beliefs). - Mayflower Compact = established the ideas of (1) majority rule and (2) fair and just laws.

The Mayflower Compact

New England Colonies ► Religious Characteristics: - Society based on Puritan views of the Anglican Church. - Social standing based on religious standing - Increasingly intolerant of dissenters. - RI, Conn. = founded as havens (refuges) for Puritan dissenters.

Puritan Dissenters

New England Colonies ► Economic Characteristics: - Economic activities: Shipbuilding, shipping, fishing, rum trade, lumbering, livestock trade, manufacturing (barrels, candles, salted meats, corn), subsistence farming. - Puritan belief in hard work.

Middle Colonies ► Colonies: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. ► Associated Groups: English, Dutch, and German Immigrants.

Middle Colonies ► Government Characteristics: - Government (Governor / Legislative Assembly) elected yearly. - Incorporate a number of democratic principles that reflect basic rights of Englishmen. - Taxes - William Penn = founded Pennsylvania

Middle Colonies ► Religious Characteristics: - Freedom from religious persecution. - Multiple religious groups (PA = Quakers; MD = Catholics) - Freedom of Religion - Maryland = Religious Toleration Act (1649) - Pennsylvania = Charter of Privileges (1682)

Toleration Act of 1649

Middle Colonies ► Economic Characteristics: - Flexible Social Structure - Developed middle class (of skilled workers, artisans, business owners, and small farmers) - Economic Activities: Trading, shipping, shipbuilding, livestock (cattle), grain, mining (example: iron ore) and small farms.

Skilled Artisans

Middle Colonies ► Economic Characteristics (cont’d): - Variety of goods: to be sold here in the colonies and abroad. - Variety of goods: to be sold here in the colonies and abroad. - Trading ports: Philadelphia, New York City.

Major Ports

Concluding Thoughts ► A strong belief in private ownership of property and free enterprise characterized colonial life everywhere. ► The “Great Awakening was a religious movement that swept both Europe and the colonies in the mid-1700s (1740s and 1750s). It led to the rapid growth of evangelical religions, such as Methodist and Baptist, and challenged the established religious and government orders. It laid the social foundations for the American Revolution.