The 13 Colonies Essay
Although British colonists in North America came from similar european descent, by the end of the colonial period, each territory became distinct as a result of environmental, social, religious, and political factors, with different areas being affected by different factors more than others. The thirteen colonies can be divided into three distinct regional sections: New England, Middle, and Southern. Each section had its own distinct economic and cultural framework which emerged from the geographical elements of the land and the religious beliefs of the settlers. Although founded by people of similar European origin, the regions became unique. This allowed all thirteen colonies to prosper and generate money in the way best suited for them.
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Being sandwiched in between New England and the Southern colonies made the middle region an important pivot in the mercantile system. Larger cities such as New York and Pennsylvania lied in the middle colonies. They were so populous and prosperous because they filled the gap the colonies desperately needed. Unlike the North, the Middle colonies had rich fertile soil, and while the South grew cash crops such as indigo, tobacco and rice; the Middle colonies grew a variety of grains to feed the colonies. Due to this the plantations were much smaller and slaves would often work alongside their owners in the field. Land was relatively easy to acquire in the Middle Colonies so more people owned smaller plantations and the wealth distribution was more evenly divided. The Middle colonies were by far the most diverse and accepting region. William Penn came to the mid region to settle in a new plot of land called “Pennsylvania”, a place where Quakers and other non-Puritans could live freely and practice their religions without being executed or prosecuted. This lead to diversified ethnicities and religions i.e. Quakers, Mennonites, Calvinists and Presbyterians. Due to this the Middle colonies became the go-to places if people were unhappy with their current situation in the New England Colonies or the the empire. Similarly to the North ship building and logging were successful businesses. The middle colonies quickly became large and prosperous due to their accepting culture and fertile and accessible
Being sandwiched in between New England and the Southern colonies made the middle region an important pivot in the mercantile system. Larger cities such as New York and Pennsylvania lied in the middle colonies. They were so populous and prosperous because they filled the gap the colonies desperately needed. Unlike the North, the Middle colonies had rich fertile soil, and while the South grew cash crops such as indigo, tobacco and rice; the Middle colonies grew a variety of grains to feed the colonies. Due to this the plantations were much smaller and slaves would often work alongside their owners in the field. Land was relatively easy to acquire in the Middle Colonies so more people owned smaller plantations and the wealth distribution was more evenly divided. The Middle colonies were by far the most diverse and accepting region. William Penn came to the mid region to settle in a new plot of land called “Pennsylvania”, a place where Quakers and other non-Puritans could live freely and practice their religions without being executed or prosecuted. This lead to diversified ethnicities and religions i.e. Quakers, Mennonites, Calvinists and Presbyterians. Due to this the Middle colonies became the go-to places if people were unhappy with their current situation in the New England Colonies or the the empire. Similarly to the North ship building and logging were successful businesses. The middle colonies quickly became large and prosperous due to their accepting culture and fertile and accessible