1. New England Colonies: Economy

2. Fishing  The colonists caught more fish because of oceans nearby.  They had a surplus so they sold it to people in Europe and other English colonists in West Indies.

3. Whaling  They caught the whales and killed it. They cut and boiled the whale’s blubber to obtain oil. The oil was used to get light. It gave more light and less smoke.  After whales started declining, they started going on bigger ships on longer voyages to look for whales.

4. Trading  Ships carried goods to and from ports in southern Europe and England.  English government made the colonists follow a route from new England ports to England and also told them to buy English goods only.  New England exported lumber, fur and dried fish and got tea, spices, cloth, shoes and buttons.  Triangular route- They had to cross Africa on the way so they bought slaves from Africa. Slaves suffered a lot and many died on these ships.

5. Shipbuilding  They used raw materials in forests to build ships, they used logs to build naval stores. The naval stores are used to build and repair ships.  By 1700s- Almost one-third of ships built were from New England colonies because of their low cost.  The ship building industry helped New England towns turn into cities.