Middle colonies

The middle colonies:

Included: New York Pennsylvania New Jersey Delaware

Farmers in the middle colonies had many

advantages: Rich soil Mild climate Long growing season Deep rivers

Farming

• Because of good soil

and climate people could produce crops to sell

• These became known as Cash Crops- crops grown to sell for profit

• They produced so much grain they became known as the bread basket colonies

Crops for sale

• Many farmers in the middle colonies shipped their goods through Philadelphia and New York

• They shipped them via the Delaware river and the Hudson river

Port cities

Many of the Pennsylvania Dutch utilized the

Conestoga wagon It was:

Larger More sturdy Covered Large wheels

Conestoga Wagon

Owning land was very important to the

colonists 5 families owned most of the land (their

estates could cover up to 2 million acres) The owner or Patroon ran their estates like

tiny kingdoms People who farmed the land had to pay rent

New York farmers

By the mid 1700’s Philadelphia and New York

were the two largest cities in the colonies They were important trading and

manufacturing centers Cities were a contrast to the quiet countryside

Streets were paved with brick or cobblestone They were lined with shops and inns Crowds of people spoke many languages

Cities Grow Quickly

The middle colonies were settled by people from

many countries with different: Beliefs Customs languages

A different kind of community:

• The colonies did not have any single religion

that was more powerful then the others• Religions included– Roman catholic– Jewish– Amish– Mennonite– Calvinists– Quaker– Lutherans

Many Religions:

People worked together to:

Clear land Barn raising Sheep shearing Quilting

Country Customs and Fun

Early colonists settled along the Atlantic coast

and the banks of large rivers As more people arrived they moved further

inland Frontier- a thinly settled area on the outer

limits of the colonies For the middle colonies the frontier was the

foothills of the Appalachian Mountains

The Frontier

People who settled here were mainly seeking

new adventure and freedom They had to partake in extra chores like:

Cutting logs for their house and fires Make furniture Make candles Make clothes Educate their children

People on the frontier

Because families on the frontier all faced

many dangers and hardships: They gained a spirit of independence and

equality Women worked alongside men Different culture groups shared thoughts and

ideas There were no social class distinctions

Dangers on the frontier