Southern Colonies vs New England Colonies

Early life in the Americas consisted of great diversity as well as some similarities between colonies. During the colonial time period from about the 1600’s through the 1700’s, the thirteen original colonies were founded and divided among three major sections known as the New England colonies, the Middle colonies, and the Southern colonies. The New England colonies consisted of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. The Middle colonies contained New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. The Southern colonies included Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Geography was a primary influence on the colonial way of life. The New England colonies and the Southern colonies vary geographically because the New England colonies were located in the Northern region while the Southern colonies were located in the South. Their differing regions led to different lifestyles. Geography affected how the regions developed economically and socially. The New England colonies and the Southern colonies differ in a variety of economical and social ways although they share some similarities.

Geography impacted the development of the thirteen original colonies. The New England colonies had cold winters, rocky soil, mountains, forests, rivers, and natural harbors. The rocky soil made fertilization hard. The forests, rivers, and natural harbors provided the New England colonies with other ways to survive. These geographic disadvantages and advantages shaped the economy of the New England colonies. The New England colonies had a diverse economy. Their economy included small-scale farming, fishing, fur trade, shipbuilding, lumbering, trade and commerce, crafts, and industry. New England was run by manufacturing. Trade, lumber, and fishing were the primary source of income. Although farming was the most common occupation, New England colonies became the center of colonial shipping, with major ports at Boston and Salem.