Colonial Culture Life in the Colonies, 1607 – 1776
Feb 07, 2016
Colonial CultureLife in the Colonies,
1607 – 1776
New England Colonies
Geography• Every colony had access
to the coast
• Short growing season
• Harsh winters/cold climate
• Hard/rocky soil
• Large forests
Mayflower Compact – 1st doc of self-gov’tFundamental Orders of CT – 1st constitution
Subsistence Farming: depend on children for laborSmall business: craftspeopleShipbuilding & fishing
Middle Colonies
Geography• Every colony had access to the
coast
• Moderate growing season
• Mild winters/warm summers
• Fertile soil good for farming
• Large forests
• Iron ore mined in the mountains
Wheat & livestock shipped to NYC and Philadelphia
Nicknamed the “Bread Basket”
• Small scale manufacturing
Candle-making
Textiles
Woodworking/sawyer
Blacksmith
Most ethnically (nationalities) diverse coloniesTreated most people as equals
Southern Colonies
Geography• Long growing season
• Hot climate
• Flat land & good soil
• Many rivers to transport crops
• Every colony on the coast
VA House of Burgesses - 1st rep. assembly
Cash crops- tobacco, rice, indigoFarmers
Labor SourceEasy availability of land
Limit immigrant workers
Hiring workers becomes difficult
Indentured servants
- Labor under contract
Slaves (by 1700, legal in all colonies)
Labor Source
Slaves were brought to American on the Middle Passage of the triangular trade route
Slave codes were passed to control slaves (ex: making it illegal to teach them to read)
Not all colonists believed in slavery