Colonies for the AH Test U2

New England Colonies

Colonies:

New Hampshire; Massachusetts; Rhode Island; Connecticut

Religion:

Mostly Puritan; many of ther denominations increase

Geography:

Long cold winters; thin rocky soil; hills and mountains; dense forests; natural harbours

Economic:

Whaling/fishing/ship building; shipping/trade; timber; subsistence farming (only enough to eat)

Middle Colonies

Colonies:

New York; New Jersey; Delaware; Pennsylvania

Religion:

Quakers; protestant, some Catholic; various

Geography:

Temperate climate; rich soil; natural harbours; dense forests; varied terrain

Economic:

Farming—> “bread basket” (The physical environment in the middle colonies includes plenty of fast, moving rivers. Mills were common in the middle colonies were grain and wheat was grown for making bread.) ; livestock, lumber; shipping and trade; towns and farms

Southern Colonies

Colonies:

Virginia; Maryland; Georgia; North and South Carolina

Religion:

Church of England; Catholics (MD); various others

Geography:

Long hot summers; year round growing season; short cool winters; fertile

Economic:

Farming/cash crops; plantations; slave labor

The Backcountry

Geography:

-dense forests and streams/near the Appalachian Mountains; began in the South at the fall line (waterfalls prevent upriver movement) ; beyond the fall line was the piedmont, or the large plateau at the vase of the Appalachian

People:

-many Scots-Irish moved ibto the Backcountry to escape the poverty and crop failures in England; these settlers also brought over their clan systems to help them together in the hostile environments

Life:

-moving goods was very difficult, so they had to be self reliant; women were also very involved in the hunting/fishing/farming

Notes:

-resources made it easy to start a small farm; they cut down trees to build houses/barns/fences/furniture; small streams of water; they could hunt/fish/raise dogs and cattle/grew corn for food